as in exchanges
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-offs
But although swapping virgin inputs for recycled material is often framed as a silver bullet, such alternatives come with their own environmental and logistical trade-offs.
—
Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 17 June 2026
Altering that process significantly enough to ease that bottleneck would likely come with other trade-offs, experts said, such as earlier deadlines to turn in certain ballots or more time-consuming ballot drop-offs — either of which might dissuade some voters from showing up.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
And as ever, all available choices involve difficult trade-offs.
—Anand Menon, Time, 13 June 2026
This is not a question of ideological differences or of the trade-offs inherent to building a diverse coalition.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 9 June 2026
The erosion of institutions comes with trade-offs, though.
—John Kennedy, VIBE.com, 9 June 2026
Accept the trade-offs No credit card can do it all and is the best in every situation.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 8 June 2026
That certainty comes with trade-offs, though.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 3 June 2026
Over time, this could build the muscle memory needed to make trade-offs that benefit the company over any individual department’s interests.
—Adrienne Down Coulson, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 17 June 2026
Altering that process significantly enough to ease that bottleneck would likely come with other trade-offs, experts said, such as earlier deadlines to turn in certain ballots or more time-consuming ballot drop-offs — either of which might dissuade some voters from showing up.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
And as ever, all available choices involve difficult trade-offs.
—Anand Menon, Time, 13 June 2026
This is not a question of ideological differences or of the trade-offs inherent to building a diverse coalition.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 9 June 2026
The erosion of institutions comes with trade-offs, though.
—John Kennedy, VIBE.com, 9 June 2026
Accept the trade-offs No credit card can do it all and is the best in every situation.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 8 June 2026
That certainty comes with trade-offs, though.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 3 June 2026
Over time, this could build the muscle memory needed to make trade-offs that benefit the company over any individual department’s interests.
—Adrienne Down Coulson, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trade-offs
exchanges
Noun
-
Amazon Chief Executive Andy Jassy was involved in those exchanges, one of the people said.—
Maggie Eastland,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
Irish Spring soap, known for its fresh scent, is often recommended online — in blog posts, social media exchanges and elsewhere — as a way to repel skunks.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trade-offs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trade-offs. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
