hand-me-down 1 of 2

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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hand-me-down

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hand-me-down
Noun
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 Her friend is pregnant with her second child, and had planned to dress the baby in hand-me-downs from her first baby. Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025 Hunter had known his biological father his whole life as a family friend; sometimes this man dropped off hand-me-downs that his sons—Hunter’s half brothers—had outgrown. Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025 That’s a sign that the hand-me-down nature of music – where the sound of one generation is incorporated and reinterpreted by the next – is alive and well. Tom Roland, Billboard, 16 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-me-down
Adjective
  • Next wave of luxury consumers Affordability is the top reason for buying secondhand luxury items, cited by 80% of respondents, according to BCG’s report.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2025
  • As the holidays creep up, some consumers plan to play secondhand Santa.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Rogue One sprung up from a throwaway line in the opening Star Wars crawl and eventually led to Andor, one of the finest series ever made.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
  • That's an expert throwaway from Bo Nix against the Jets blitz.
    Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The 14 remaining castaways morphed into two tribes of seven, with the original Hina holding a majority alliance in one tribe, while the original Uli held a majority in the other.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
  • In 48 seasons, not a single Survivor castaway has been removed from the game as a result of an animal attack.
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Use 4-inch round cookie cutters to cut out, rerolling scraps as needed.
    Jenavieve Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Though not as violent as the Lions-Chiefs scuffle, the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers had a postgame scrap of their own on Sunday after Buffalo’s dominant 40-9 Week 8 victory.
    Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-me-down. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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