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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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
The prices of some goods, like medical products and used cars, dropped slightly. — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026 As a result, there is a high supply of gently used plus-size apparel making its way into recommerce ecosystems. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
The same caution applies to lotions, powders and creams used on or near the chest. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 To fix this, researchers used Bayesian hierarchical distance sampling. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 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
  • Many of today’s younger users are already accustomed to navigating complex interfaces, processing information from multiple sources and responding to rapidly changing digital environments.
    — George Toh, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Models are well accustomed to boredom—especially during fashion month.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of accustomed
Verb
  • There is also an elevator, although it’s best utilized as a dumbwaiter for luggage and is not recommended for guest use.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • New processes like StoryCamera, StoryPerformance and StoryLighting have been created and were utilized in the several minutes of work-in-progress footage the panel showcased.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of utilized
Verb
  • She was treated at hospitals in Ramallah and Israel for lacerations across her body, a broken rib and four broken vertebrae.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Musk has repeatedly treated the sports car as a lower priority than Tesla’s other projects, while also blaming supply chain shortages for earlier delays.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of treated
Verb
  • In their complaint, the US alleged that Alfozan used an OpenAI productivity agent to research which conference rooms might be best exploited for his spying.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In one case, Claude exploited a software flaw on a university server to run commands after a scientific analysis tool stopped working.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of exploited
Verb
  • Fundora found room for uppercuts inside and applied pressure through the middle rounds before delivering the decisive left in the final second.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • It must now be applied to those making products that could shape the future of humanity itself.
    — Giorgos Tsetis, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of applied
Verb
  • Serhii Sternenko, who runs a foundation supplying drones to Ukrainian forces and previously served as an adviser to Ukraine's defense minister, also reported the Starlink speed limits and later said the speeds were being limited even further.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The actresses served on this year’s jury alongside existing members Edward Enninful, ex-editor-in-chief of British Vogue and co-founder of EE72, as well as Marie-Louise Khondji, founder of Le Cinéma Club, and BFI CEO Ben Roberts.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of served
Verb
  • The charges come with additional special allegations, around the victim’s vulnerability and that Tapia abused a trustworthy position.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Early American corporate charters, after all, were granted for limited public purposes and could be revoked when abused.
    — Christopher Marquis, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of abused
Verb
  • The base employed around 1,300 military and civilian personnel, including roughly 1,070 military members, according to October 2025 figures published by the Town of Wainwright.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • And later, during the Art Deco era, design juggernauts such as Eileen Gray and Jean Dunand employed the finish in some of their most famous works.
    — Helena Madden, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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