as in levies
a payment that must be made to the government in order to import or export certain goods
The Townshend Acts, which imposed a tariff on many goods imported to North America, indirectly led to the American Revolution.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of tariffs
Shane Williams, a panelist and managing director of global trade for Ernst & Young, recognizes that tariffs can be a good and a bad thing.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2025
New York — One of the only things that polls worse than the Trump economy is the president’s almost unprecedented use of tariffs.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
However, past tariffs have not been nearly as steep, and several of the affected companies told the WSJ that the levies feel disproportionate.
—Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Most say their concerns have eased, noting that tariffs have not disrupted global trade as feared.
—Lance Lambert, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025
Italian pasta could disappear from US shelves Italian pasta could largely disappear from US supermarket shelves as producers say 107% tariffs make exports uneconomic.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Katyal, the lawyer representing businesses opposed to the tariffs, argued that the potential strain was not a reason for the court to side with the administration.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
In response, administration lawyers argued before the Supreme Court that revenues aren't the point of the tariffs.
—Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 11 Nov. 2025
Whether tariffs, labor or tax cuts, or a tepid outlook on interest rate cuts, people hope for a better year, with a dose of what's next.
—Erik Logan, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2025
New York — One of the only things that polls worse than the Trump economy is the president’s almost unprecedented use of tariffs.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
However, past tariffs have not been nearly as steep, and several of the affected companies told the WSJ that the levies feel disproportionate.
—Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Most say their concerns have eased, noting that tariffs have not disrupted global trade as feared.
—Lance Lambert, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025
Italian pasta could disappear from US shelves Italian pasta could largely disappear from US supermarket shelves as producers say 107% tariffs make exports uneconomic.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Katyal, the lawyer representing businesses opposed to the tariffs, argued that the potential strain was not a reason for the court to side with the administration.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
In response, administration lawyers argued before the Supreme Court that revenues aren't the point of the tariffs.
—Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 11 Nov. 2025
Whether tariffs, labor or tax cuts, or a tepid outlook on interest rate cuts, people hope for a better year, with a dose of what's next.
—Erik Logan, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tariffs
Noun
-
The first antidumping tariffs were levied on certain Italian pasta companies in 1996, and some form of levies has remained since then.—
Reia Li,
AZCentral.com,
11 Nov. 2025
-
But, unlike other laws the president can cite to enact higher tariffs, Section 122 doesn’t require an advanced investigation to be initiated, giving Trump the ability to immediately put new levies on imports.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The government is allowed to implement content-neutral time, place and manner restrictions, and a protest can’t interfere with law enforcement’s duties.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The structure puts extra defensive weight on Potts, but his midfield partners did not shirk their share of such duties, with the trio combining to give West Ham broad, reliable coverage across the pitch.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tariffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tariffs. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share