1
: a balancing of factors all of which are not attainable at the same time
Governments face a trade-off between privacy and increasing the effectiveness of tax collection.—
Ricardo Perez-Truglia and Ugo Troiano
Ricardo Perez-Truglia and Ugo Troiano2
: a giving up of one thing in return for another : exchange
trade off
transitive verb
Examples of trade-off in a Sentence
a trade-off in which a company got a celebrity spokesperson and a fading star got some much-needed cash
Recent Examples on the Web
The minimum wage was a perfect test case for the trade-off theory of growth versus fairness—and the theory failed.
—Nick Hanauer, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026
That's a 30× cost reduction with better output—not a trade-off.
—Aruna Veerappan, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Consumers are making some trade-offs in other areas due to the rising cost of gas.
—Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 20 May 2026
The simplicity and reliability make that a minor trade-off, Cizmar notes.
—Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
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Nick Hanauer, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026
That's a 30× cost reduction with better output—not a trade-off.
—Aruna Veerappan, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Consumers are making some trade-offs in other areas due to the rising cost of gas.
—Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 20 May 2026
The simplicity and reliability make that a minor trade-off, Cizmar notes.
—Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
Cite this Entry
“Trade-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade-off. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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