use up

verb

used up; using up; uses up

transitive verb

: to exhaust of strength or useful properties

land that has been used up

Synonyms

• spend
• consume
• drain
• exhaust
• play out
• draw down
• run out of
• reduce
• use
• absorb
• burn

Examples of use up in a Sentence

we used up the last of the flour when we made the waffles

Recent Examples on the Web

To stay on the right side of Financial Fair Play (FFP) limits, Barca could use up to 80% of Tet Stegen’s salary to get Garcia and Rashford the green light for the upcoming La Liga season, which starts on August 16 for Hansi Flick’s defending champions. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Fast fashion uses up massive amounts of water, produces hazardous chemicals and clogs up landfills in poor countries with textile waste, while also generating greenhouse gases in production, transport and disposal. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2025

State law permits candidates to use up to $3,000 from their campaign accounts toward security costs. —Dana Ferguson, Twin Cities, 25 July 2025

These grades are calculated using up to 30 national performance measures sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, The Leapfrog Hospital Survey and other data. —Sarah Linn july 24, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1712, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for use up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup

Kids Definition

use up

verb

: to make complete use of : exhaust

used up all the supplies