trade up
verb
traded up; trading up; trades up
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
Homeowners who secured rock-bottom rates during the pandemic have had little incentive to sell and trade up to today’s higher borrowing costs.
—
Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
The team invested a ton of draft capital in Young while trading up for the first overall pick in 2023.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2026
Will multiple preferred players fall to them, or will they be compelled to trade up?
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The Dolphins, not Jordan, traded up from 12th to draft him with the third pick in 2013.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trade up
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.
Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
The team invested a ton of draft capital in Young while trading up for the first overall pick in 2023.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2026
Will multiple preferred players fall to them, or will they be compelled to trade up?
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The Dolphins, not Jordan, traded up from 12th to draft him with the third pick in 2013.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trade up
Cite this Entry
“Trade up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade%20up. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
