odds and ends

plural noun

1
a
: miscellaneous articles
b
: miscellaneous small matters (as of business) to be attended to
2
: miscellaneous remnants or leftovers
odds and ends of food

Examples of odds and ends in a Sentence

she's always searching among the odds and ends in the drawer for some tool that she needs almost all of the piece of leather will be needed for upholstering the chair, so just throw away any odds and ends
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Tunnel mining finished in 2024, and the last year was spent completing the other infrastructure odds and ends that brought the whole project together. Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 9 Oct. 2025 Patiowell 5-Foot x 3-Foot Outdoor Storage Shed Rather than clutter up your garage with gardening supplies and tools, opt for this large storage shed to store outdoor odds and ends. Molly Blanco, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2025 From trendy bean salads to chickpeas cooked piccata-style, here are all the ways our editors make a satisfying bean recipe out of a humble can and a few other odds and ends. Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Oct. 2025 A couple other odds and ends worth mentioning include weakness in the U.S. dollar, strength in gold and triple witching this Friday. Jj Kinahan, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for odds and ends

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of odds and ends was in 1761

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Cite this Entry

“Odds and ends.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/odds%20and%20ends. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

odds and ends

plural noun
: miscellaneous articles, leftovers, or things to do

More from Merriam-Webster on odds and ends

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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