trade up

verb

traded up; trading up; trades up

intransitive verb

1

: to trade in (something, such as an automobile) for something more expensive or valuable of its kind

2

: to stock or purchase higher-priced items

Examples of trade up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Savaiinaea, a former Arizona standout the Dolphins traded up to select in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, struggled massively last season. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026

Jones hasn’t cracked the rotation yet, but Denver traded up into the third round to draft him in 2025. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 27 Aug. 2026

Meta shares took a tumble at market open just after the settlement was announced but recovered and are currently trading up about 3% at $587. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026

Delane, whom the Chiefs traded up to select, started and played three defensive series. — Jeff Fedotin, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for trade up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup