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
Lenders like Tenet Auto Loans specialize in loans for new and used electric vehicles. — Kelsey Neubauer,jasmin Suknanan, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026 This lack of choice pushed some buyers toward used cars to better fit their budgets. — Beth Livesay, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
The two started rolling and Nigel used his own athletic tape to wrap around Moxley’s face. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 The technology, used in all Metro Nashville Public Schools, didn’t spot the weapon because the shooter wasn’t close enough to cameras for the system to get an accurate read and activate the alarm, the district said. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 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
  • Collectors have become accustomed to shuttling between events and openings spread across the capital.
    — Payal Uttam, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Amid cultural and social upheaval in America, Parton grew accustomed to coming under fire.
    — Shima Oliaee, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of accustomed
Verb
  • Daily cargo operations The limestone transported by MV Yampu will be utilized to produce cement for homes, schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure in Victoria and South Australia.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Toronto utilized seven pitchers in a bullpen game and registered eight strikeouts.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of utilized
Verb
  • Chan’s parents always treated their back pain from laborious food industry jobs with acupuncture and cupping, the practice of using cups or suction on the skin to stimulate blood flow and the flow of chi, or energy.
    — Cara Kelly, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • None of this was treated as a foregone conclusion during production.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of treated
Verb
  • Three more defendants have been sentenced to a total of 155 months in prison for their role in the Feeding Our Future Fraud scheme–the $250 MILLION scheme that exploited a program intended to feed thousands of children in Minnesota.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Early on July 11, agent 38148c found and exploited a zero-day in the Hugging Face handling of HDF5 files.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of exploited
Verb
  • The country applied to join the EU in 2009 in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.
    — Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
  • If lime is needed to adjust the pH of the soil, it should be applied at least 1 month before reseeding.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of applied
Verb
  • Moody, who served as Florida’s attorney general when the settlement was approved, struck a more reserved note, appearing to distance herself from the investigation.
    — Liv Caputo, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • If inmates served jail time and posted bond, staff were instructed to contact immigration officials, the newspaper reported.
    — Rachel Spacek, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of served
Verb
  • Furious season 1 wrapped up the case as Alice arrested Catherine at Jay Easton’s (Peter McRobbie) house — the site where Catherine and her friend Isabel (Larissa Campos) were abused.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
  • That series revealed just how little many local police departments are doing to make sure street-camera data is not being abused.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of abused
Verb
  • The Dispatch reported that an EMCC Athletics representative would not confirm whether Stephens remains employed by the school in another capacity.
    — Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Chicago police employed 1,102 total detectives as of May 2023, and 1,163 as of last week.
    — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 31 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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