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
Trump appears unbothered by that trade-off.
—
Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
The trade-offs, including a large scar, longer recovery, and higher costs, did not outweigh the benefits for me.
—Dory Zayas, SELF, 20 Jan. 2026
Complex governance decisions, CEO succession timing, strategic trade-offs, board refreshment, were increasingly reduced to binary outcomes.
—Jane Sadowsky, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2026
This designer-favorite sofa style comes with a few trade-offs.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
The trade-offs, including a large scar, longer recovery, and higher costs, did not outweigh the benefits for me.
—Dory Zayas, SELF, 20 Jan. 2026
Complex governance decisions, CEO succession timing, strategic trade-offs, board refreshment, were increasingly reduced to binary outcomes.
—Jane Sadowsky, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2026
This designer-favorite sofa style comes with a few trade-offs.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 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
-
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 3 Feb. 2026.
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