used 1 of 2

adjective

ˈyüzd How to pronounce used (audio)
Definition of usednext
as in accustomed
being in the habit or custom my grandmother has spent her whole life on the farm and is used to working hard

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

used

2 of 2

verb

past tense of use
1
as in utilized
to put into action or service I will need to use the large hammer for this project

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in treated
to behave toward in a stated way the factory workers were underpaid and poorly used by their employers

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3
as in exploited
to take unfair advantage of I was paying for everything on our little outing, and I was starting to feel like I was being used

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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 used
Adjective
Lululemon will give you a gift card, up to $25, in exchange for gently used women's and men's clothing. — Kristine Lazar, CBS News, 31 July 2026 Maresca’s football, fundamentally, is based on finding the free man and creating numerical superiorities in different areas of the pitch, and the City players are well used to that after their time with Guardiola. — Sam Lee, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Verb
In 2024, his team used aerial photographs and satellite imagery to count nearly 1,300 structures across southwestern Amazonia. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026 Drones and missiles were also used during the earlier attack on Sunday. — Duarte Dias, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for used
Recent Examples of Synonyms for used
  1. accustomed
  2. utilized
  3. treated
  4. exploited
  5. applied
  6. served
  7. abused
  8. employed
Adjective
  • Hair that's accustomed to lying one way naturally gains height when flipped in the opposite direction, while the sweeping fringe creates softness and fullness around the face.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 11 Aug. 2026
  • After more recent stops at the local fairgrounds, Saturday’s gathering moved to Taylor Estate, a lakeside venue more accustomed to weddings than political rallies.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of accustomed
Verb
  • Though the 34 cameras have been mounted at intersections throughout the city for several years, there's a new wave of suspicion about them and the way they're utilized by law enforcement.
    — Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • According to the team, the technology could be utilized for optical connections, smart infrastructure, as well as sensors.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of utilized
Verb
  • And since Jace’s death, she’s treated Baela as nothing more than a defective surveillance drone — a worthless piece of tech that never spots Vhagar.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Police found Tanta-Quidgeon lying in the road and being treated by a witness to the incident, who is also an EMT and was performing CPR on Tanta-Quidgeon.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of treated
Verb
  • Think beyond immediate threats and consider how routine data trails can be exploited over time.
    — Erik Wittreich, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Critics, including public health experts and food scientists, have long said the industry has exploited the rule to introduce thousands of unstudied chemicals into the nation’s food supply, potentially endangering public health.
    — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of exploited
Verb
  • When, in January 2018, Modi’s associates applied for new letters, a new official in charge asked for collateral in cash, ultimately exposing the alleged scam.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The latest awards reinforce how those engineering capabilities are being applied to torpedo reliability, submarine maintenance and the long-term readiness of America’s undersea fleet.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of applied
Verb
  • White Water's diminutive cocktail bar has awesome bottled cocktails served in proper glassware that make for the perfect sundowner to carry across the boardwalk to soak up golden hour over the Pacific.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Matthew Temple said her performance (as well as countryman Sam Short’s in the men’s 400) served as motivation heading into his 100 butterfly win.
    — Peter Baugh, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of served
Verb
  • Over on Reddit and other online forums, Pitt’s return to drinking has stirred controversy, especially from people who are in recovery themselves or who grew up with loved ones who abused alcohol.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Gordon-Levitt played Neil McCormick, who was abused by the same coach, and processes it by chasing older men as a teenage rent boy.
    — Joshua Encinias, IndieWire, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of abused
Verb
  • Within that, the number of people classifying themselves as employed fell 87k while the number of people classifying themselves as unemployed fell 178k.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
  • That sensitivity is reflected in the adorable strategy Hunnam employed to detox from playing Gein throughout the production.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of employed

Browse Nearby Words

use
used
used up
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Cite this Entry

“Used.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/used. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of used for Spanish Speakers

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