trade up

British  

verb

1. (intr, adverb) to sell a small or relatively inexpensive house, car, etc, and replace it with a larger or more expensive one

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trade up Idioms  

1. see under trade down.

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Example Sentences

Moving from job to job allows workers to trade up to higher-paying employers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

For automakers, a lower-priced sedan can also be an entry point for consumers who later trade up to pricier models.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

The announcement seemed to breathe a bit of life into some names of the AI trade: shares of Microsoft regained their losses from earlier in the day to trade up 0.3%.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

We think Advance can earn $4 to $5 in a few years and the stock could trade up to $80 to $100 a share.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

“That’s pretty cool. But you’ll definitely have to trade up from Charlie.”

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson