trade-in

1 of 2

noun

ˈtrād-ˌin 

: an item of merchandise (such as an automobile or refrigerator) taken as payment or part payment for a purchase

trade in

2 of 2

verb

traded in; trading in; trades in

transitive verb

1

: to turn in as payment or part payment for a purchase or bill

trade the old car in on a new one

2

: exchange sense 2

Examples of trade-in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Xfinity’s iPhone Duo Preorder Deals Finally, Xfinity’s also getting in on the preorder party with up to $1,000 in savings with an eligible device trade-in. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026

Republic Goods and Buffalo Exchange both offer consignment or trade-ins, and Main Street Mercantile has antiques and unique finds in addition to clothing. — Mackenzie Jervis, Travel + Leisure, 12 Oct. 2026

Verb

Of the 520,000 contracts traded in Tesla, 315,000 were calls, as traders bought 88,000 calls and 65,000 puts, according to Cboe LiveVol data. — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026

Spain heavily restricted trade in its Caribbean American empire, and Britain was upset about being shut out of a lucrative market. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1915, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for trade-in

• aneurin
• crystallin
• eosin
• mandolin
• porphyrin
• superfine
• underpin
• vietminh
• violin
• akin
• auxin
• buckskin

Kids Definition

trade-in

1 of 2 noun

ˈtrād-ˌin

: something given in trade usually as part payment for a purchase

trade in

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)trād-ˈin

: to turn in as a payment or part payment for a purchase