: 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
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 29 May 2026
Classrooms in turmoil On Sundays after church, community members used to stop and commend Kimberly Huffman for educating local kids about the Constitution.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 29 May 2026
The pads could be used to deploy mobile air-defense missiles, electronic warfare nodes or, from some of the larger ones, road-mobile ICBM launchers, three security scholars said.
—Reuters, NBC news, 29 May 2026
Evictions of this type are typically issued at the end of a lease term and have often been used to force out residents en masse when a new landlord purchases a property.
—Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2026
Vacation memories used to come home in a suitcase.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
The seal on the voting equipment is used to show it has not been tampered with after leaving the elections office.
—Maven Navarro
may 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 May 2026
The report also found that emergency medical services were increasingly used to respond to mental health and substance abuse crises — complications disproportionately experienced by unhoused people — contributing to the high number of low-acuity calls linked to homelessness.
—Reeti Malhotra
may 29, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
The grant used to pay her salary had dried up.
—Darlene Superville, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
As acne develops through inflammation, the practice of acupressure is used to reduce swelling and encourage blood circulation.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 29 May 2026
Classrooms in turmoil On Sundays after church, community members used to stop and commend Kimberly Huffman for educating local kids about the Constitution.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 29 May 2026
The pads could be used to deploy mobile air-defense missiles, electronic warfare nodes or, from some of the larger ones, road-mobile ICBM launchers, three security scholars said.
—Reuters, NBC news, 29 May 2026
Evictions of this type are typically issued at the end of a lease term and have often been used to force out residents en masse when a new landlord purchases a property.
—Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2026
Vacation memories used to come home in a suitcase.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
The seal on the voting equipment is used to show it has not been tampered with after leaving the elections office.
—Maven Navarro
may 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 May 2026
The report also found that emergency medical services were increasingly used to respond to mental health and substance abuse crises — complications disproportionately experienced by unhoused people — contributing to the high number of low-acuity calls linked to homelessness.
—Reeti Malhotra
may 29, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
The grant used to pay her salary had dried up.
—Darlene Superville, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Used to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/used%20to. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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