trade up

verb

traded up; trading up; trades up

intransitive verb

1

: to trade in (something, such as an automobile) for something more expensive or valuable of its kind

2

: to stock or purchase higher-priced items

Examples of trade up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s why, after an exhaustive evaluation process led by O’Connell involving plane flights, on-field workouts and lunches with prospects, the team traded up a spot to land McCarthy. —Alec Lewis, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

Miami traded up to draft Savaiinaea in the second round because he was viewed as one of the 10 day-one starting offensive line prospects available in the 2025 draft. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2025

Buffalo selected Arkansas edge rusher Landon Jackson in the third round, and traded up in the fourth round, again with Chicago, to select Kentucky defensive tackle Deone Walker. —Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2025

For their final pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Jets traded up from the sixth round at pick 186 and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Ravens to move up to No. 176 overall to select Mauigoa’s teammate at Miami, defensive lineman Tyler Baron. —Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for trade up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup