: familiar with something so that it seems normal or usual
I'm not used to driving this car yet.
He is used to criticism.
The dog will need a few days to become used to its new home.
She quickly got used to the warm weather.
1
—used to say a situation existed in the past but does not exist now
My grandmother said winters used to be harder here.
2
—used to say something happened repeatedly in the past but does not happen now
We used to go out more often.
They used to eat a lot of junk food but now they only eat healthy foods.
Examples of used to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nina Burns, CBS News, 19 June 2026
The chip supports the Catapult Assisted Take-Off but Arrested Recovery system used to launch aircraft from Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 June 2026
Dialog also features an internal dating function, used to match members with each other, and offers discussions on book recommendations, technology’s effect on humanity and the future, among other topics.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 19 June 2026
Can it be sold, shared or used to train AI systems?
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
Of the many cruel aspects of slavery, the shackles used to restrain and dehumanize more than12 million Africans across three centuries may be the most visceral tangible reminder.
—Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
There, on May 29, Sojourner Truth delivered a legendary speech that called on attendees to reject the racial and gender biases used to limit her place in society and to defy a status quo that devalued her as a Black woman and treated her as invisible and expendable.
—Jocelyn Frye, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026
The Supreme Court barred the government from restricting the gun rights of casual drug users in a case involving the same statute used to convict Hunter Biden.
—Josh Feldman, NBC news, 19 June 2026
How does a child at any age get used to the loss of a parent?
—Liz Shulman, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
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Verb
Nourse said safety tags are used to mark an animal that may be set for euthanasia so a nonprofit has time to line up transport, a foster, or an adopter.
—Nina Burns, CBS News, 19 June 2026
The chip supports the Catapult Assisted Take-Off but Arrested Recovery system used to launch aircraft from Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 June 2026
Dialog also features an internal dating function, used to match members with each other, and offers discussions on book recommendations, technology’s effect on humanity and the future, among other topics.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 19 June 2026
Can it be sold, shared or used to train AI systems?
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
Of the many cruel aspects of slavery, the shackles used to restrain and dehumanize more than12 million Africans across three centuries may be the most visceral tangible reminder.
—Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
There, on May 29, Sojourner Truth delivered a legendary speech that called on attendees to reject the racial and gender biases used to limit her place in society and to defy a status quo that devalued her as a Black woman and treated her as invisible and expendable.
—Jocelyn Frye, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026
The Supreme Court barred the government from restricting the gun rights of casual drug users in a case involving the same statute used to convict Hunter Biden.
—Josh Feldman, NBC news, 19 June 2026
How does a child at any age get used to the loss of a parent?
—Liz Shulman, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Used to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/used%20to. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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