trade-in

1 of 2

noun

: an item of merchandise (such as an automobile or refrigerator) taken as payment or part payment for a purchase

trade in

2 of 2

verb

traded in; trading in; trades in

transitive verb

1
: to turn in as payment or part payment for a purchase or bill
trade the old car in on a new one
2

Examples of trade-in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Readers of my deals stories will know that the sacrifice for these freebies is historically poor trade-in valuations compared to U.S. pricing. Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025 Tesla only recently started allowing trade-ins, and two customers told Business Insider that their trade-in estimates amounted to roughly 37% depreciation after just a year. Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Verb
Around $54,000 of raw cashews, kola nuts, and maize were traded in the first 10 minutes of launch, RFI reported. Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 4 June 2025 The former Thunder, Warriors and Nets star joined the Suns via trade in February of 2023. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for trade-in

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1915, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of trade-in was in 1891

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Trade-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade-in. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

trade-in

1 of 2 noun
ˈtrād-ˌin
: something given in trade usually as part payment for a purchase

trade in

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)trād-ˈin
: to turn in as a payment or part payment for a purchase

More from Merriam-Webster on trade-in

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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