1
: a balancing of factors all of which are not attainable at the same time
Governments face a trade-off between privacy and increasing the effectiveness of tax collection.—
Ricardo Perez-Truglia and Ugo Troiano
Ricardo Perez-Truglia and Ugo Troiano2
: 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
For Schroeder, who has had romantic relationships with human women, the trade-offs are clear.
—Amogh Dimri, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
However, the trade-off for affordability and customization is lower coverage caps — $1,750 for systems and $1,000 for appliances — which may not be enough for major repairs in your area.
—Alora Bopray, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
In the article, Dean walks readers through the engineering trade-offs, design decisions, and real-world tests that shaped the system from concept to deployment.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 31 Dec. 2025
Critics argue the trade-off does not justify safety risks.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
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Amogh Dimri, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
However, the trade-off for affordability and customization is lower coverage caps — $1,750 for systems and $1,000 for appliances — which may not be enough for major repairs in your area.
—Alora Bopray, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
In the article, Dean walks readers through the engineering trade-offs, design decisions, and real-world tests that shaped the system from concept to deployment.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 31 Dec. 2025
Critics argue the trade-off does not justify safety risks.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Dec. 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 9 Jan. 2026.
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