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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were trading up 11 points, near the flatline. Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025 Golden State can trade up to four first-round picks, plus multiple first-round pick swaps, spanning the next seven NBA drafts, per Bobby Marks of ESPN. Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025 Give Grier credit for trading up for Howard. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025 The Panthers famously traded up with the Pittsburgh Steelers to select Johnson in the third round of the 2023 draft. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trade up

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of trade up was in 1905

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trade up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade%20up. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!