: 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
Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
In short, the mechanism used to provide partial state funding for homeschool and private-school students is now paying for those students to attend soccer camps, horseback riding classes, gymnastics and jiu-jitsu classes.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Jacas said Bielema used to show Patriots tape during meetings.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
However, if the answer is no, then Republicans can say goodbye to their dreams of holding on to the governorship in November and should get used to the imposing reality of a Jolly administration.
—Thomas C. Shank, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Eco effort The off-grid camp is fully powered by solar energy, with panels for each tent used to heat water supplied from a tank.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
Antisemitic hate crimes are at an all-time high; friends, acquaintances, and colleagues who used to wish me a Happy Hanukkah, Happy Passover, or Happy Rosh Hashanah have gone silent.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 24 Apr. 2026
Just dare to bring up open relationships on the corner of the internet that used to be called Twitter.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
His work is still in its early stages, but it can be used to further explore interactions between light and gravitational fields.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
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Verb
The willow out front, where the children used to play, was thick and crooked with age.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
In short, the mechanism used to provide partial state funding for homeschool and private-school students is now paying for those students to attend soccer camps, horseback riding classes, gymnastics and jiu-jitsu classes.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Jacas said Bielema used to show Patriots tape during meetings.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
However, if the answer is no, then Republicans can say goodbye to their dreams of holding on to the governorship in November and should get used to the imposing reality of a Jolly administration.
—Thomas C. Shank, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Eco effort The off-grid camp is fully powered by solar energy, with panels for each tent used to heat water supplied from a tank.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
Antisemitic hate crimes are at an all-time high; friends, acquaintances, and colleagues who used to wish me a Happy Hanukkah, Happy Passover, or Happy Rosh Hashanah have gone silent.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 24 Apr. 2026
Just dare to bring up open relationships on the corner of the internet that used to be called Twitter.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
His work is still in its early stages, but it can be used to further explore interactions between light and gravitational fields.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Used to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/used%20to. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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