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
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Recent Examples of trade-offs
Inevitably, there are trade-offs to be negotiated.
—
Sam Knight, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
In that context, finance chiefs provide enterprise-wide visibility and help turn ambiguity into concrete scenarios, trade-offs, and decisions.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
For Schroeder, who has had romantic relationships with human women, the trade-offs are clear.
—Amogh Dimri, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
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 Atlas, this means proving that a highly agile, fully electric system can perform sustained, repetitive work without the trade-offs that come with research-grade complexity.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
Data can support better planning and clarify trade-offs.
—Malana Vantyler, Ascend Agency, 6 Nov. 2025
But there are significant trade-offs.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
Anyone who prefers unfiltered photos, transparent trade-offs, and surgeon involvement over highlight reels.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Sam Knight, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
In that context, finance chiefs provide enterprise-wide visibility and help turn ambiguity into concrete scenarios, trade-offs, and decisions.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
For Schroeder, who has had romantic relationships with human women, the trade-offs are clear.
—Amogh Dimri, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
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 Atlas, this means proving that a highly agile, fully electric system can perform sustained, repetitive work without the trade-offs that come with research-grade complexity.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
Data can support better planning and clarify trade-offs.
—Malana Vantyler, Ascend Agency, 6 Nov. 2025
But there are significant trade-offs.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
Anyone who prefers unfiltered photos, transparent trade-offs, and surgeon involvement over highlight reels.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trade-offs
exchanges
Noun
-
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
-
Flirty texts, meaningful exchanges and chance encounters spark something unexpected, especially through everyday moments like errands, commutes or late-night chats that start casually and end with momentum.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trade-offs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trade-offs. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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