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
Traditionally, that level of personalization would have required tough trade-offs: either sacrifice speed or blow the budget.
—William Li, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
As towns across the state grapple with rising housing demands, Rocky Hill offers a compelling case study of the trade-offs—and long-term consequences—of development versus conservation.
—John Emmanuel, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2025
Algorithm designers have long studied these space-time trade-offs for specific tasks like sorting.
—Ben Brubaker, Wired News, 13 July 2025
In order to fuel such a costly organ, the researchers added, there was likely a trade-off with how our immune system functioned.
—New Atlas, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
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William Li, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
As towns across the state grapple with rising housing demands, Rocky Hill offers a compelling case study of the trade-offs—and long-term consequences—of development versus conservation.
—John Emmanuel, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2025
Algorithm designers have long studied these space-time trade-offs for specific tasks like sorting.
—Ben Brubaker, Wired News, 13 July 2025
In order to fuel such a costly organ, the researchers added, there was likely a trade-off with how our immune system functioned.
—New Atlas, 9 July 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 18 Jul. 2025.
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