1
: a balancing of factors all of which are not attainable at the same time
the education versus experience trade-off which governs personnel practices—
H. S. White
H. S. White2
: a giving up of one thing in return for another : exchange
trade off
transitive verb
Examples of trade-off in a Sentence
a trade-off in which a company got a celebrity spokesperson and a fading star got some much-needed cash
Recent Examples on the Web
Offensively, this group would be messy in all likelihood, but that’s the trade-off.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
There are definitely trade-offs for doing so, including seeing costs rise as Bartesian grows and health care prices surge.
—Maria Aspan, NPR, 16 Oct. 2025
Understanding the real trade-offs.
—FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
So, in addition to changing particle flavors, using massive force carriers and making the universe left-handed, the weak nuclear force allows the sun to shine — not a bad trade-off for such a weird force.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
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.
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
There are definitely trade-offs for doing so, including seeing costs rise as Bartesian grows and health care prices surge.
—Maria Aspan, NPR, 16 Oct. 2025
Understanding the real trade-offs.
—FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
So, in addition to changing particle flavors, using massive force carriers and making the universe left-handed, the weak nuclear force allows the sun to shine — not a bad trade-off for such a weird force.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
Cite this Entry
“Trade-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade-off. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share