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
Most shoppers don’t approach the registers and ponder the trade-offs of each queue; the choice is likely made on autopilot, psychology researchers told me.
—Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
Breaking a payment into installments can make something feel more affordable but the trade-offs often include interest charges, late fees or opening a new line of credit.
—Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 1 Dec. 2025
There’s a the trade-off between driving yourself and paying for parking, using public transportation or using a rideshare app like Uber and Lyft.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 1 Dec. 2025
The trade-off is that electric fireplaces produce less heat than gas or wood-burning models, and their artificial flames may not satisfy those who want the authenticity of a real fire.
—Angie Hicks, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 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.
Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
Breaking a payment into installments can make something feel more affordable but the trade-offs often include interest charges, late fees or opening a new line of credit.
—Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 1 Dec. 2025
There’s a the trade-off between driving yourself and paying for parking, using public transportation or using a rideshare app like Uber and Lyft.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 1 Dec. 2025
The trade-off is that electric fireplaces produce less heat than gas or wood-burning models, and their artificial flames may not satisfy those who want the authenticity of a real fire.
—Angie Hicks, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 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 7 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share