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
Synonyms
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
There’s always been a trade-off with the platform’s ability to narrow the distance between activists and people in positions of power.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
This relationship and flexibility can be trade-offs for a borrower who is frustrated dealing with large legacy banking organizations.
—Christian Faes, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
China By Keith Bradsher A trade-off centers on two issues: tariffs and Taiwan.
—New York Times, 3 Nov. 2024
That's another kind of trade-off that people making detection technology have to be very mindful of.
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for trade-off 
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Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
This relationship and flexibility can be trade-offs for a borrower who is frustrated dealing with large legacy banking organizations.
—Christian Faes, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
China By Keith Bradsher A trade-off centers on two issues: tariffs and Taiwan.
—New York Times, 3 Nov. 2024
That's another kind of trade-off that people making detection technology have to be very mindful of.
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for trade-off
Dictionary Entries Near trade-off
Cite this Entry
“Trade-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade-off. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
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