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
Each feature examines how a woman approached a specific challenge or built a particular outcome, focusing on decisions, trade-offs, and execution rather than titles or milestones.
—
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
Whether Waymo can convince regulators and the public that few human accidents become an acceptable trade-off, is still being determined.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Yet, like other sources, solar has its limits and trade-offs.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Early evaluations show improved mental and physical health and fewer trade-offs on medicine, utility bills and groceries.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
Whether Waymo can convince regulators and the public that few human accidents become an acceptable trade-off, is still being determined.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Yet, like other sources, solar has its limits and trade-offs.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Early evaluations show improved mental and physical health and fewer trade-offs on medicine, utility bills and groceries.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trade-off
exchange
Noun
-
The ceasefire's initial phase focused on hostage exchanges, increased humanitarian aid and a limited Israeli pullback.—
Bradford Betz,
FOXNews.com,
2 Feb. 2026
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Those typically belong to small companies that don’t meet the listing requirements for a major exchange, although some big-name international stocks can also be listed in the OTC market.—
The Motley Fool,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trade-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trade-off. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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