as in secondhand
owned or used by someone after it had been owned or used by someone else
—used especially of clothing
He was wearing an old, hand-me-down jacket.
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Recent Examples of hand-me-down
Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025
The brand has been a favorite among parents for decades because of its durable materials, elevated designs, and major hand-me-down potential.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2025
One was a hand-me-down from my cousin’s husband who was visiting from Virginia and couldn’t fly back with it.
—Katie Jackson, Outside, 11 Sep. 2025
The final look included Rachel Comey heeled boots, the secondhand Emporio Armani suit, the white dress shirt with French cuffs, silk cufflinks, a silver tie pin, secondhand silver rings, and her grandmother's hand-me-down Peugeot watch.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Adjective
The outfit was a hand-me-down from her beloved dog, Sophie, who is no longer with us.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025
The brand has been a favorite among parents for decades because of its durable materials, elevated designs, and major hand-me-down potential.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2025
One was a hand-me-down from my cousin’s husband who was visiting from Virginia and couldn’t fly back with it.
—Katie Jackson, Outside, 11 Sep. 2025
The final look included Rachel Comey heeled boots, the secondhand Emporio Armani suit, the white dress shirt with French cuffs, silk cufflinks, a silver tie pin, secondhand silver rings, and her grandmother's hand-me-down Peugeot watch.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-me-down
Adjective
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Experts chalk up the trend to fewer Birkin buyers at auctions — as aspirational luxury consumers feel pressure from inflation and a slowing labor market — and more secondhand Birkins on the market.—
Josephine Rozzelle,
CNBC,
17 Dec. 2025
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And better yet, a quick peruse on secondhand retailers like eBay proves that there are also plenty of fabulous options to uncover.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Gardeners, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, are rebelling against throwaway culture by ditching disposable gardening.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
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This philosophy stands as a counterweight to the throwaway consumer culture that has dominated electronics and appliances for decades.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The show, which ran for three seasons from 1964 to 1967, centered around seven castaways who have to survive after getting shipwrecked on an uncharted island.—
Daysia Tolentino,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Dec. 2025
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Both she and her ally, Velovic, were named as the final two castaways among the returning 24 stars.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
18 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Built in 1953 from scrap lumber, Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In remains the town’s most iconic food stop, known for its cheeky signage and nostalgic burgers and milkshakes.—
Daria Bachmann,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
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In fact, dropping one aimless and often hard to hear scrap of trivia after another as winners walked to the stage, Frazier and Malkin proved a distraction at best.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-me-down. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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