vending machine

noun

: a coin-operated machine for selling merchandise

Examples of vending machine 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.
Cooper was freed when the vending machine company showed up with the key, but not before his mom fulfilled a request from the first responders. Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026 Once printed, less prurient versions of these portraits would be displayed below the marquee at the Teatro Maipo, like religious icons in a vending machine, on the street-level exterior of the venue. Bryan Barcena, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026 Another experiment let Claude run a vending machine in Anthropic’s headquarters. Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026 Read more to understand why tech companies like Palantir are stocking vending machines with nicotine pouches. O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 20 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vending machine

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vending machine was circa 1895

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Cite this Entry

“Vending machine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vending%20machine. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

vending machine

noun
: a machine from which one may get merchandise after putting in coins

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