USE UP Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

use up

verb

Definition of use up

as in to spend

to make complete use of we used up the last of the flour when we made the waffles

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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 use up Under state law, dealers in California may continue to use up supplies of paraquat for up to two years following the effective date of their cancellation. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for use up

Recent Examples of Synonyms for use up

Verb

Robert spent the prior six years with Chicago, hitting 38 home runs and stealing 20 bases in 2023, his best season and lone All-Star appearance.

— Will Sammon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
While higher earners had been spending more using credit cards, the institute said the gap across income classes began narrowing in May of this year.

— Alex Harring, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

Participants are each given half a watermelon to eat in a specified time period, and they must be consumed down to the rind.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
That figure assumes the vehicle consumes 100 watt-hours per mile and its solar panels deliver at least four kWh of usable energy to the battery during the day.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of consume

Verb

In your audit, emergency reserves are separated from non-retirement assets because they should not ever be drained unless there is an emergency.

— Cicely Jones, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Then, crews from the Urban Search and Rescue team worked with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to drain the tank and help save the remaining bears from drowning, officials said.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

Your eyes will thank you College students often fall asleep without removing their contacts, especially when exhausted from late-night studying or over-intoxicated from partying.

— Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Qualifying members who exhaust their income protection will now be covered up until May 1, 2028, Gee said.

— Jackie Charniga, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

Shamea and Porsha’s passive back-and-forth is a fascinating take on how icing someone out after a friendship falls apart can play out on a show like The Real Housewives.

— Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 29 June 2026
In April, when Rojas got news that his father had been rushed to the hospital, Roberts quickly took the decision on whether to play out of Rojas’ hands, scratching him from the lineup.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026

Definition of play out

Verb

Boomers also spent decades paying payroll taxes that built up the trust fund surplus now being drawn down to help cover the shortfall.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Some have also had to tap their 401(k) plans to cope with financial shocks, like a 61-year-old who is currently drawing down her $100,000 retirement fund after losing her job in December.

— Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of draw down

Verb

Its movements and squeaks change in response to the person interacting with it, giving caregivers another way to reduce distress and encourage engagement.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
For instance, a creditor might bid $35,000 for a $50,000 SUV, reducing the judgment by that amount, then sell it for $50,000, pocketing $15,000.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of reduce

Verb

Researchers have developed a new vision algorithm that lets humanoid robots perceive depth more like humans, using two forward-facing eyes.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Earlier this month, The Financial Times appended a note to a guest column after readers questioned whether it was written using AI.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of use

Browse Nearby Words

uses up

use up

usher

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“Use up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/use%20up. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of use up

verb

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