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
Synonyms
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
There are trade-offs with any of these bundled deals.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 18 July 2024
There are all kinds of trade-offs, but that is another element in it.
—Nilay Patel, The Verge, 11 July 2024
That’s the trade-off for being the son of LeBron James — all the public benefits of access and the private burden of comparison.
—Lz Granderson, Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2024
Look for trade-offs There is no reason to completely deprive yourself of fun this summer in an effort to stay on budget.
—Becca Stanek, theweek, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for trade-off 
Todd Spangler, Variety, 18 July 2024
There are all kinds of trade-offs, but that is another element in it.
—Nilay Patel, The Verge, 11 July 2024
That’s the trade-off for being the son of LeBron James — all the public benefits of access and the private burden of comparison.
—Lz Granderson, Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2024
Look for trade-offs There is no reason to completely deprive yourself of fun this summer in an effort to stay on budget.
—Becca Stanek, theweek, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for trade-off
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trade-off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near trade-off
Cite this Entry
“Trade-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade-off. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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