trade route

noun

1
: one of the sea-lanes ordinarily used by merchant ships
2
: a route followed by traders (as in caravans)

Examples of trade route 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.
The exhibition highlights how trade routes connected the Arabian Gulf, East Africa, India, China, and Southeast Asia through the exchange of spices, pearls, textiles, jewelry, and religious beliefs. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026 Some producers will expand oil and gas output as demand shifts away from the Middle East to places with safer access to global trade routes. — Dr. Sarah Kapnick, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Their dominions extend not merely over territory, trade routes, and airspace but over knowledge itself. — Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026 The Panama Canal Authority said operations were continuing normally along the global trade route. — Aris Mariota, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trade route

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of trade route was in 1828

Rhymes for trade route

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Browse Nearby Words

trade rat
trade route
tradership
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Cite this Entry

“Trade route.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade%20route. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

trade route

noun
1
: one of the sea-lanes used by merchant ships
2
: a route followed by traders (as in caravans)

More from Merriam-Webster on trade route

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trade route

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