single-use
adjective
sin·gle-use
ˈsiŋ-gəl-ˈyüs 
variants
or less commonly single use
: intended or designed to be used once and then discarded
single-use plastics
single-use paper products
Surgical masks are single-use face coverings that are designed to act as a barrier to sneezes or other potential exchanges of germs.—
Anandi Barker
Anandi BarkerExamples of single-use in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Token, pushover human Seth (Gil Ozeri) lives under the thumb of the tiny, domineering dog Brandi (the incomparable Amy Sedaris), a high maintenance diva with a yen for single-use Stanley cups.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Earth Day on the 22nd is a wonderful anchor for habits around sustainability like planting something, spending more intentional time outside, or cutting back on single-use plastics.
—Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
No single-use plastic bottles, cups, or coffee pods here.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2026
Other goals in the plan call for reducing trash, phasing out single-use plastic by 2032 and increasing composing of organic waste.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
But there were plenty of out-there, single-use apps, like one that dropped motorcycles from the ceiling.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
On Illinois Environmental Lobby Day, hundreds gathered in Springfield to push action on three environmental bills to protect wetlands, ban single-use plastics and safeguard against energy and water strains caused by the data center boom.
—Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
According to the Sierra Club, Boston and more than 160 Massachusetts communities already ban single-use plastic shopping bags.
—Neal Riley, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Some of us virtuously recycle items that will be transported across the world to smother island nations in single-use plastic bags and water bottles, milk jugs, yogurt tubs, pet food and potato chip bags, Styrofoam meat trays, Coke bottles, Amazon mailing envelopes, and fast-food wrappers.
—Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
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Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Earth Day on the 22nd is a wonderful anchor for habits around sustainability like planting something, spending more intentional time outside, or cutting back on single-use plastics.
—Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
No single-use plastic bottles, cups, or coffee pods here.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2026
Other goals in the plan call for reducing trash, phasing out single-use plastic by 2032 and increasing composing of organic waste.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
But there were plenty of out-there, single-use apps, like one that dropped motorcycles from the ceiling.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
On Illinois Environmental Lobby Day, hundreds gathered in Springfield to push action on three environmental bills to protect wetlands, ban single-use plastics and safeguard against energy and water strains caused by the data center boom.
—Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
According to the Sierra Club, Boston and more than 160 Massachusetts communities already ban single-use plastic shopping bags.
—Neal Riley, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Some of us virtuously recycle items that will be transported across the world to smother island nations in single-use plastic bags and water bottles, milk jugs, yogurt tubs, pet food and potato chip bags, Styrofoam meat trays, Coke bottles, Amazon mailing envelopes, and fast-food wrappers.
—Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Single-use.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single-use. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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