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

As if the acquisitions of veterans Hollywood Brown and Dontayvion Wicks didn’t signal EVP/GM Howie Roseman’s intent to move on from Brown – likely next month, when the salary cap softens the team’s contractual hit – then certainly the trade up for Makai Lemon in Round 1 of the draft did. —Jim Reineking, USA Today, 4 May 2026

After the Rams took Simpson, Holmes said the Lions felt good about their chances of getting Miller at 17 and didn’t feel obligated to trade up. —Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026

The stock was trading up 1% as of Tuesday afternoon. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026

Hafley praised Johnson, labeling the draft’s 27th pick, a player the Dolphins traded up for, as his favorite cornerback in the draft because of his combination of size, speed, athleticism and footwork. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 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