: an item of merchandise (such as an automobile or refrigerator) taken as payment or part payment for a purchase
traded in; trading in; trades in
1
: to turn in as payment or part payment for a purchase or bill
trade the old car in on a new one
2
Examples of trade-in in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mackenzie Jervis, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026
While Beijing has rolled out trade-in subsidies to spur sales of cars and appliances, the rebound in spending has been uneven.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
James Abbott, Space.com, 23 Feb. 2026
The Olympian traded in her ski suit for a shearling-lined suede Charlotte Simone coat.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trade-in
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Noun
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, 15 Feb. 2026
While Beijing has rolled out trade-in subsidies to spur sales of cars and appliances, the rebound in spending has been uneven.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
Best for vlogging The DJI Flip is something of a jack of all trades in that it can be flown independently without an app or controller, with the DJI Fly app or one of two controllers that are available in the kits.
—James Abbott, Space.com, 23 Feb. 2026
The Olympian traded in her ski suit for a shearling-lined suede Charlotte Simone coat.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trade-in
Cite this Entry
“Trade-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade-in. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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