lost and found

noun

plural lost and founds
: a repository for items that have been lost by their owners
The lost and found in my high school had been a locked closet adjacent to the front office for which a secretary had the key.Joyce Carol Oates

Examples of lost and found in a Sentence

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.
Love Lost, powered by Petco Love, is a national database driven by artificial intelligence that matches lost and found pet photos. Staff, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025 The annual event, hosted by Goodwill of Orange County, gives shoppers the chance to snag items left unclaimed in the theme park’s lost and found. Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025 Short Wave host Regina G. Barber speaks with bioengineer and Princeton University professor Daniel Cohen about the surprisingly long history of rhinoplasty – and how this art was lost and found throughout the ages. Hannah Chinn, NPR, 15 Sep. 2025 And with its serpentine saga of provenance lost and found, it’s expected to fetch as much as $2.7 million when offered at Bonhams’ Goodwood Revival: Collectors’ Motor Cars and Automobilia sale. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 1 Sep. 2025 Footprint Center lost and found Contact a PHX Arena, formerly Footprint Center, staff member for assistance. Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 11 Aug. 2025 Some took naps or came to retrieve belongings where a lost and found had formed in the fellowship hall. Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025 Any bags not picked up before closing will be transferred to lost and found. Caché McClay, USA Today, 22 July 2025 There are many different ways a film can be lost and found. Matt Minton, Variety, 23 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lost and found was in 1777

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Cite this Entry

“Lost and found.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lost%20and%20found. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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