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
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Recent Examples of trade-off
For Schroeder, who has had romantic relationships with human women, the trade-offs are clear.
—
Amogh Dimri, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
The trade-off is a lower coverage cap for appliances (up to $1,000) and a $100 service fee, which may feel steep compared to competitors with fees as low as $65 per claim.
—Alora Bopray, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
In the article, Dean walks readers through the engineering trade-offs, design decisions, and real-world tests that shaped the system from concept to deployment.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 31 Dec. 2025
For some households, that combination — cash plus long-term interest savings — may be worth the trade-off.
—Brendan Dyer, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
Amogh Dimri, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
The trade-off is a lower coverage cap for appliances (up to $1,000) and a $100 service fee, which may feel steep compared to competitors with fees as low as $65 per claim.
—Alora Bopray, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
In the article, Dean walks readers through the engineering trade-offs, design decisions, and real-world tests that shaped the system from concept to deployment.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 31 Dec. 2025
For some households, that combination — cash plus long-term interest savings — may be worth the trade-off.
—Brendan Dyer, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trade-off
exchange
Noun
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The House Oversight Committee’s first hearing on the Minnesota fraud scandal was complete with lawmakers pointing fingers and exchanging barbs in heated exchanges.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
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His son looks just as focused, especially after the two exchange words.—
Mirin Fader,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trade-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trade-off. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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