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.
Eagles trade away Brown In a move forecasted throughout the offseason, including when Philadelphia traded up in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to select wide receiver Makai Lemon, the Eagles waited until after the June 1 threshold before trading Brown to the Patriots. Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 2 June 2026 Last June, the Lightning traded up in the fourth round to select Rautiainen with the 108th overall pick. Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 May 2026 Shares of Google-owner Alphabet are trading up 25% since the beginning of the year. Sean Conlon,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 28 May 2026 The head coach also talked about rookie Caleb Lomu, the offensive tackle who New England traded up to draft in the first round. Matt Schooley, CBS News, 27 May 2026 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 9 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster