use up

verb

used up; using up; uses up

transitive verb

: to exhaust of strength or useful properties
land that has been used up

Examples of use up in a Sentence

we used up the last of the flour when we made the waffles
Recent Examples on the Web The reader saw this as proof that his daily runs used up his heartbeats prematurely. Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 14 Mar. 2024 Another woman, who asked to speak anonymously, said Ukrainian soldiers had based themselves near civilians, were drawing Russian fire on the area, and were using up local resources. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 It was also only approved for use up until seven weeks of pregnancy. Olivia Goldhill, STAT, 27 Feb. 2024 Repeat 24 times until the lentil mixture is used up. Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 4 Feb. 2024 According to the brand, the masks can be used up to three times a week. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024 With each displacement, Gaza families are fleeing with less and less, leaving behind the last of their earthly possessions and using up their final reserves of cash. Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2024 After your meetings are over, use up a couple of vacation days—-or just keep working and blend in some fun. Richard Sine, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 The issue: Will solar farms use up all our farmland? Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'use up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1712, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of use up was in 1712

Dictionary Entries Near use up

Cite this Entry

“Use up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/use%20up. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

use up

verb
: to make complete use of : exhaust
used up all the supplies

More from Merriam-Webster on use up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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