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

These trade-ins could include devices from Apple itself, Google, Motorola, or Samsung that have been active on an account for at least 60 days. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026

Jim said that newer, previous iPhone models are holding their value and can be used as trade-ins to offset the Duo price or to upgrade to one of the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max models, which got $100 price increases due to the surge in memory costs. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

Verb

While member countries have spoken of expanding trade in national currencies, few concrete steps have been seen in that direction. — Priyanka Salve,lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026

The Clippers acquired Gallinari, then 28, from the Denver Nuggets in a three-team trade in the summer of 2017 and subsequently handed him a three-year, $65 million extension. — Mike Prada, New York Times, 14 Sep. 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