trade down

verb

traded down; trading down; trades down

intransitive verb

1
: to trade something in (such as an automobile) for something less expensive or valuable of its kind
2
: to stock or purchase lower-priced items : economize

Examples of trade down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As of May 15, the stock was trading down nearly 35% from the time of its workforce reduction. Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 17 May 2026 Well, one thing analytics guys love to do is trade down in drafts to accumulate extra pick value. Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 6 May 2026 The Bills original second-rounder was used to acquire DJ Moore, but GM Brandon Beane traded down three times in Round 1 to gain additional mid-round selections and might have hit on every single one. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026 The Falcons traded down and added to their defense to open Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trade down

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of trade down was in 1905

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trade down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade%20down. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster