tariff

noun

Definition of tariffnext
as in tax
a payment that must be made to the government in order to import or export certain goods The Townshend Acts, which imposed a tariff on many goods imported to North America, indirectly led to the American Revolution.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of tariff Badiani said the tariffs have hurt both his business and his buyers. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2026 In contrast, no tariffs would unwind the COMEX-LME arbitrage. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026 Citing the affordability burden, the lawsuit claims that the Section 301 tariffs do the same thing. — Kent Jones, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026 The report specifically highlights that China responded to new tariffs in 2018 by sending their goods to other nations ranging from Mexico to Malaysia for packaging and limited assembly — a practice known as transshipping. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tariff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tariff
  1. tax
  2. levy
Noun
  • According to the Financial Times, the Wall Street bank boss used the conversation to lobby the British government against creating a more hostile tax environment for banks.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Elisabeth Wright Burak, a policy researcher at Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, said Trump’s tax-and-spending law is stifling the momentum states had been gaining with maternal care since 2022.
    — Andrew Jones, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of tax
Noun
  • After the first round of tariffs was announced last year — including levies on autos specifically — Linamar’s stock plunged and her fortune dipped to around $800 million.
    — Ari Altstedter, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026
  • China’s State Taxation Administration is conducting large-scale training for local tax officers to align on how the levy on offshore trusts – some of them set up decades ago – should be applied, according to several onshore and offshore tax lawyers.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of levy

Browse Nearby Words

targets
tariff
tariffs
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Cite this Entry

“Tariff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tariff. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tariff

Nglish: Translation of tariff for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tariff

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