1
: a balancing of factors all of which are not attainable at the same time
the education versus experience trade-off which governs personnel practices—
H. S. White
H. S. White2
: 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
Just like Texans and New Yorkers, biofilms weigh the trade-offs of horizonal versus vertical growth.
—Carrie Arnold, Quanta Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
Balance the trade-off between receiving smaller checks sooner versus larger checks later.
—Wes Moss, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The trade-offs, notably the nontraditional ThinkPad keyboard feel, are worth weighing.
—PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
At first, the larger audiences available online, especially through social media, made the trade-offs seem worthwhile.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
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Carrie Arnold, Quanta Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
Balance the trade-off between receiving smaller checks sooner versus larger checks later.
—Wes Moss, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The trade-offs, notably the nontraditional ThinkPad keyboard feel, are worth weighing.
—PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
At first, the larger audiences available online, especially through social media, made the trade-offs seem worthwhile.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
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 1 May. 2025.
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