trade up

verb

traded up; trading up; trades up

intransitive verb

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

Examples of trade up 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.
Shares pared gains slightly to trade up 4.18% by 9:00 a.m. London time. Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2025 New York will be weighing all options, and it might ultimately be forced to trade up into the top two to get its guy. Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post, 30 Jan. 2025 When Patrick Mahomes’ draft day is brought up, there’s an easy connection between the Bills (who held the original pick) and the Chiefs (who traded up). Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2025 On draft night in 2019, the Timberwolves front office was burning up the phone lines to trade up from their No. 11 pick to get a skinny, small, but super-quick shooter from Vanderbilt named Darius Garland. Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for trade up 

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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

Dictionary Entries Near trade up

Cite this Entry

“Trade up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade%20up. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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