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
Ouchi’s work focuses on helping patients articulate their goals and acceptable trade-offs before a crisis forces those decisions under pressure.
—Adaira Landry, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
As with any financial strategy, these products involve trade-offs, including liquidity limitations and surrender periods, which a vetted advisor can explain in full.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Employers are starting to focus more on questions that show how candidates think through issues and weigh trade-offs rather than raw coding capabilities.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
The real question is whether a senior leader is responsible for understanding what stakeholders actually expect, what trade-offs come with each decision and how to communicate those choices in a way that’s right for the company.
—Jonathan Jordan, Fortune, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
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Adaira Landry, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
As with any financial strategy, these products involve trade-offs, including liquidity limitations and surrender periods, which a vetted advisor can explain in full.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Employers are starting to focus more on questions that show how candidates think through issues and weigh trade-offs rather than raw coding capabilities.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
The real question is whether a senior leader is responsible for understanding what stakeholders actually expect, what trade-offs come with each decision and how to communicate those choices in a way that’s right for the company.
—Jonathan Jordan, Fortune, 27 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 31 May. 2026.
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