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
The limits were part of a trade-off that allowed the schools to offer scholarships to everyone on the roster, instead of only a fraction, as has been the case for decades.
—Eddie Pells, Baltimore Sun, 7 June 2025
Until now, there have been trade-offs between the Fold phones and Samsung's Galaxy Ultra phones, with the latter offering a nicer camera experience, better battery life, and other perks like the stylus.
—Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 7 June 2025
Economic trade-offs Exporters are also seeing slimmer margins, industry analysts noted, in particular the country’s oil sector against the backdrop of declining global oil prices.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 6 June 2025
Although this local hiring looks good on the surface for the U.S., there’s also a trade-off.
—Paresh Sagar, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
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Eddie Pells, Baltimore Sun, 7 June 2025
Until now, there have been trade-offs between the Fold phones and Samsung's Galaxy Ultra phones, with the latter offering a nicer camera experience, better battery life, and other perks like the stylus.
—Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 7 June 2025
Economic trade-offs Exporters are also seeing slimmer margins, industry analysts noted, in particular the country’s oil sector against the backdrop of declining global oil prices.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 6 June 2025
Although this local hiring looks good on the surface for the U.S., there’s also a trade-off.
—Paresh Sagar, Forbes.com, 5 June 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 13 Jun. 2025.
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