: an item of merchandise (such as an automobile or refrigerator) taken as payment or part payment for a purchase
traded in; trading in; trades in
1
: to turn in as payment or part payment for a purchase or bill
trade the old car in on a new one
2
Examples of trade-in in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2026
The average down payment for consumers with a negative equity trade-in during the third quarter of 2025 was $2,721.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 9 Jan. 2026
League sources familiar with the situation say that Toronto even passed on the possibility of acquiring another player in a June trade in order to protect the cap space that would have been needed to bring in Marchand.
—Chris Johnston, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trade-in
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.
Noun
Stores like Target also hold trade-in events to recycle old car seats in return for a discount on new gear.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2026
The average down payment for consumers with a negative equity trade-in during the third quarter of 2025 was $2,721.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
Sauna Like a Scandinavian Duluth's floating Cedar and Stone Nordic Sauna on the edge of Lake Superior trades in pure hygge.
—Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 9 Jan. 2026
League sources familiar with the situation say that Toronto even passed on the possibility of acquiring another player in a June trade in order to protect the cap space that would have been needed to bring in Marchand.
—Chris Johnston, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trade-in
Cite this Entry
“Trade-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade-in. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
