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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hand-me-down
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
12 Jan. 2026
Without their belongings, the family is relying on neighbors and relatives this season, borrowing Christmas trees, hand-me-down dishes, and even pie plates.
—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
3 Dec. 2025
For instance, our toddler is growing up with more cashmere than most adults, since her hand-me-downs were made by her great-grandmother, Celsa, the founder of Scaglione.
—
Nneya Richards,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Nov. 2025
Fit a Bow A new bow loses about a third of its value after leaving the shop, so a lot of new archers start with a hand-me-down.
—
The Editors,
Outdoor Life,
30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Adjective
Rounding out the spot are a hand-me-down coffee table finished to look like malachite, a rug by From Jaipur With Love, and an abstract painting by Jen Garrido that the couple picked up on a trip to Austin, Texas.
—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
12 Jan. 2026
Without their belongings, the family is relying on neighbors and relatives this season, borrowing Christmas trees, hand-me-down dishes, and even pie plates.
—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
3 Dec. 2025
For instance, our toddler is growing up with more cashmere than most adults, since her hand-me-downs were made by her great-grandmother, Celsa, the founder of Scaglione.
—
Nneya Richards,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Nov. 2025
Fit a Bow A new bow loses about a third of its value after leaving the shop, so a lot of new archers start with a hand-me-down.
—
The Editors,
Outdoor Life,
30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-me-down
Adjective
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But the designer version is difficult to find, even secondhand, and costs a hefty $1,070.
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Kantamanto, home to 30,000 traders across 18 sprawling acres, is West Africa’s largest secondhand clothing market.
Noun
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The subject remains a sensitive one in Indonesia, and the film reflects it subtly – a throwaway line at the start describes how a Chinese character has had to register his business under his, supposedly, native Indonesian son-in-law.
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Plastic throwaway containers have become a part of our everyday lives.
Noun
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But the Hurricanes turned speedy castaways like Ehlers, Miller, Taylor Hall and Eric Robinson into Cup champions.
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Rams castaway Cooper Kupp still boasts an unexpected wry sense of humor.
Noun
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Being joyful there — in the Dominican Republic, where small shacks and houses pieced together by junkyard scraps sometimes hold families with over a dozen members — seems incomprehensible.
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There are panel beaters, scrap metal sellers, upholsterers.
Cite this Entry
“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-me-down. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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