Thesaurus results for TRADE-OFF

trade-off

noun

ˈtrād-ˌȯf

as in exchange

a giving or taking of one thing of value in return for another a trade-off in which a company got a celebrity spokesperson and a fading star got some much-needed cash

Synonyms & Similar 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 trade-off But maybe that’s the trade-off. —

Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2026 The broader ambition is to remove trade-offs between comfort and performance, extending the material’s use across applications from sportswear to protective gear. —

Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2026 But speed came with trade-offs. —

William Jones, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026 Without population growth, tax revenues are likely to stagnate even as demand for public services grows, forcing difficult trade-offs for local governments. —

George Avalos, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trade-off

Recent Examples of Synonyms for trade-off

exchange

Noun

The bedroom exchange never went through, but both Amy and Gretchen have honored our 1970 agreement.

— David Sedaris, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Such clean behavior strongly points to an origin in isolated binary systems, where two stars are born together, evolve side by side, exchange mass, and eventually collapse into black holes that merge without interference from their surroundings.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 12 Apr. 2026