: 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
Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Tesla only recently started allowing trade-ins, and two customers told Business Insider that their trade-in estimates amounted to roughly 37% depreciation after just a year.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Ashley J. Tellis, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2025
Even without the benefit of hindsight, this immediately vaults into the top-five most stunning, franchise-altering trades in Red Sox history, if not higher.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade-in
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Noun
Readers of my deals stories will know that the sacrifice for these freebies is historically poor trade-in valuations compared to U.S. pricing.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Tesla only recently started allowing trade-ins, and two customers told Business Insider that their trade-in estimates amounted to roughly 37% depreciation after just a year.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Verb
For example, New Delhi’s effort to conduct some of its bilateral trades in local currencies rather than the U.S. dollar, although intended to immunize India against U.S. sanctions on third countries, could provoke a nationalist U.S. administration to limit cooperation with India.
—Ashley J. Tellis, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2025
Even without the benefit of hindsight, this immediately vaults into the top-five most stunning, franchise-altering trades in Red Sox history, if not higher.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 16 June 2025
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 20 Jun. 2025.
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