1
: a balancing of factors all of which are not attainable at the same time
Governments face a trade-off between privacy and increasing the effectiveness of tax collection.—
Ricardo Perez-Truglia and Ugo Troiano
Ricardo Perez-Truglia and Ugo Troiano2
: a giving up of one thing in return for another : exchange
trade off
transitive verb
Examples of trade-off in a Sentence
a trade-off in which a company got a celebrity spokesperson and a fading star got some much-needed cash
Recent Examples on the Web
This flexibility allows one engine to perform like two different engines, eliminating the traditional trade-off between thrust and efficiency.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2025
That heat pump means less room in the front trunk as a trade-off.
—New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2025
Data can support better planning and clarify trade-offs.
—Malana Vantyler, Ascend Agency, 6 Nov. 2025
But there are significant trade-offs.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
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Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2025
That heat pump means less room in the front trunk as a trade-off.
—New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2025
Data can support better planning and clarify trade-offs.
—Malana Vantyler, Ascend Agency, 6 Nov. 2025
But there are significant trade-offs.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
Cite this Entry
“Trade-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade-off. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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