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.
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Recent Examples of tariffs
Trump levied his greatest assault against the international economic order, announcing the most expansive set of tariffs in American history on both autocratic adversaries and America’s closest democratic allies in April 2025 (Russia was strikingly excluded).
—
Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Harley-Davidson said to date tariffs have cost the company $45 million.
—Ricardo Torres, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Trump has used the emergency statute to impose tariffs on goods in every hemisphere, upending markets for months and generating approximately $195 billion in revenue for the government, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB).
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
The cuts were disclosed when the children’s retailer said third quarter profits were down, impacted largely by tariffs.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
The two sides also extended a truce reached earlier this year that brought down their tit-for-tat tariffs from levels that would have amounted to a de facto trade embargo.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
An agreement reached at the gathering in South Korea resulted in deals that set back some of the most onerous tariffs the two sides had slapped on each other.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
In exchange, the United States lowered some of its tariffs.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Trump is much more assured of surviving this week’s Senate votes, which disapprove of his tariffs on Brazil and Canada plus his global levies, but the whiplash of his trade agenda is clearly wearing on GOP senators.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Harley-Davidson said to date tariffs have cost the company $45 million.
—Ricardo Torres, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Trump has used the emergency statute to impose tariffs on goods in every hemisphere, upending markets for months and generating approximately $195 billion in revenue for the government, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB).
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
The cuts were disclosed when the children’s retailer said third quarter profits were down, impacted largely by tariffs.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
The two sides also extended a truce reached earlier this year that brought down their tit-for-tat tariffs from levels that would have amounted to a de facto trade embargo.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
An agreement reached at the gathering in South Korea resulted in deals that set back some of the most onerous tariffs the two sides had slapped on each other.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
In exchange, the United States lowered some of its tariffs.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Trump is much more assured of surviving this week’s Senate votes, which disapprove of his tariffs on Brazil and Canada plus his global levies, but the whiplash of his trade agenda is clearly wearing on GOP senators.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tariffs
Noun
-
The Grossmont board focuses on grantmaking, allocating funds from property tax levies for a range of programs.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
No tax proposals, school levies or ballot issues.—
Dan Horn,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
However, there have been some quiet moves by automakers to recoup some of the costs of the duties, such as charging for equipment that had once been included in the price, or ending production on less profitable models.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II, later moved to the residence after retiring from royal duties.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tariffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tariffs. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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