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
Other companies are being forced to make trade-offs when deciding where to place their bets.
—
Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Each comes with trade-offs in durability, insulation, light transmission and cost.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
But staff found each option carried trade-offs in cost, visibility or effectiveness.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Given that the buds are geared for more casual listening and situational awareness, LDAC's high fidelity doesn’t seem warranted for the EarFun Clip and probably won’t be worth the trade-offs in battery life and multipoint use.
—Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
Those trade-offs carry risk, Cotality analysts wrote in May 2025.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Such a commission would force a public reckoning with the facts, the trade-offs, and the hard choices that restoring fiscal health requires.
—Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
It's shaped by slow procurement cycles, tight constraints, and hard trade-offs between capability, cost, and reliability.
—Interesting Engineering, 23 Mar. 2026
The government shows no willingness to confront voters with the fiscal trade-offs that come with higher spending.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 15 Mar. 2026
Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Each comes with trade-offs in durability, insulation, light transmission and cost.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
But staff found each option carried trade-offs in cost, visibility or effectiveness.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Given that the buds are geared for more casual listening and situational awareness, LDAC's high fidelity doesn’t seem warranted for the EarFun Clip and probably won’t be worth the trade-offs in battery life and multipoint use.
—Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
Those trade-offs carry risk, Cotality analysts wrote in May 2025.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Such a commission would force a public reckoning with the facts, the trade-offs, and the hard choices that restoring fiscal health requires.
—Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
It's shaped by slow procurement cycles, tight constraints, and hard trade-offs between capability, cost, and reliability.
—Interesting Engineering, 23 Mar. 2026
The government shows no willingness to confront voters with the fiscal trade-offs that come with higher spending.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trade-offs
exchanges
Noun
-
October 23 – November 21 This morning favors calm, thoughtful exchanges.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Crypto exchanges Coinbase and Bullish, as well as miners Mara Holdings and Riot Platforms, are also in the top of corporate bitcoin holders.—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trade-offs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trade-offs. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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