use up

verb

used up; using up; uses up
Synonyms of use upnext

transitive verb

: to exhaust of strength or useful properties
land that has been used up

Synonyms of use up

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Examples of use up in a Sentence

we used up the last of the flour when we made the waffles
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 result is fabulously decadent and the perfect recipe for using up oodles and oodles of summer squash. — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2026 According to Boom, the Overture plane will use up to three times as much fuel as today’s airliners. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026 Above a certain temperature, the system starts to work against itself; the furious beating of cilia uses up any oxygen the coral’s tissues can absorb, and then the polyps can suffocate in the less oxygenated water. — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026 At this point, most of these deals would have to be bargains, because cap space is pretty much all used up. — Zach Harper, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for use up

Word History

First Known Use

1712, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of use up was in 1712

Rhymes for use up

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Browse Nearby Words

use to
use up
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Cite this Entry

“Use up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/use%20up. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

use up

verb
: to make complete use of : exhaust
used up all the supplies

More from Merriam-Webster on use up

Nglish: Translation of use up for Spanish Speakers

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