USES UP Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

uses up

verb

present tense third-person singular of use up

as in spends

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

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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 uses up 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 These theatres are also combined with Dolby Atmos audio, which offers a technically superior 3D dimensional sound that uses up to 64-channels to pinpoint sound in space. — Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 The group uses up data on 32 safety measures to evaluate hospitals. — Eva Flowe may 13, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2026 The site is zoned C-MX-8, which generally allows a mix of uses up to 8 stories. — Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026 The Firmware Updater uses up rare lunum to increase Hugh’s health, boost his weapons or improve Diana’s hacking. — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026 To power the generators and light the tent city, the site uses up to 12,000 gallons of diesel. — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026 First, a large plant generally uses up more water than a small one, all else equal. — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for uses up

Verb

Gray is central to the investment calls Blackstone makes, and spends his weekends reading memos on potential deals in preparation for his weekly investment committee meetings.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Our roads get a D+ by the American Society of Civil Engineers, which found Colorado spends 35% more on car repairs than the national average.

— Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of spends

Verb

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
Many facilities use evaporative cooling, which consumes water to remove server heat.

— Mark Drapeau, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of consumes

Verb

Once the cycle is complete, the dirty water drains away and you’re left with clean, wet clothing.

— Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026
Defensiveness extends conversations, weakens credibility and drains emotional energy that could have been directed toward solving problems.

— Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of drains

Verb

If a bureaucratic process exhausts whatever time a citizen has available, then benefits are lost or rights are denied.

— Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 July 2026

Definition of exhausts

Verb

But some in the city are waiting to see how a separate court battle in Boston over changes to multiple national parks, including the President’s House, plays out for answers.

— Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 28 June 2026
Cook, who has remained in the post while the case plays out, called the allegations a pretext to oust her over monetary policy differences.

— Will Dunham, USA Today, 28 June 2026

Definition of plays out

Verb

The department said the policies encouraged schools to conceal from parents whether their child uses different pronouns and allowed schools to print a different name on diplomas without parental knowledge.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
Your immune system needs iron to fight infections, and your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to other organs and tissues.

— Anahad O’Connor, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of uses

Verb

This outer layer absorbs physical stress directly, protecting the delicate internal materials from bending or cracking under load.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
As Altman absorbs the public’s fears and frustrations over AI, the company has recently sought to elevate Brockman’s profile as a counterweight.

— Alex Heath, Time, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of absorbs

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

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Synonyms of uses up

verb

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