used up 1 of 2

Definition of used upnext

used up

2 of 2

verb

past tense of use up

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 used up
Verb
Polarek said the heavy snowfall in November used up a lot of salt. Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026 Sliced avocado will not last as long as a half and should be used up within a day. Abigail Abesamis Demarest, Martha Stewart, 30 Jan. 2026 At the same time, Manny Ramirez used up his 10 years on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot and will now be considered by the Eras Committees, once known as Veterans Committees. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026 Traditionally, bakers in European countries used up all their fats and sugar ahead of the Lenten season since religious observances forbid indulgences during the season. Jelissa Burns, Freep.com, 6 Jan. 2026 As the fuel is used up, it is collected at the bottom of the vessel. New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2025 After a few days, when these reserves are all used up, the body turns to stored fat and the liver converts the fat into ketones. Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025 Like a digital intermission clock of sorts that kept the audience abreast of what percentage of the time between sets had been used up. Chris Willman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025 VO2 max, which tests the maximum amount of oxygen used up during exercise, typically declines with age. Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for used up
Adjective
  • In Stoddart’s estimation, the best way to freeze these semi-consumed cakes is in slices.
    Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 2 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • The numbers have been slowly ticking up for over a year – a rare bit of good news for a government that has spent billions of dollars for more than a decade encouraging people to do just that.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
  • The department also spent more than $17 million on support staff and administrative compensation.
    Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • That’s because reduced fluid intake can temporarily shrink brain tissue—particularly the parts of the brain that regulate pain—while also affecting electrolyte balance.
    Katharine Gammon, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Complete rest, when it isn’t warranted, can lead to stiffness, strength loss and reduced coordination.
    Dana Santas, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • At some point, those fuel sources will be exhausted, no further energy will be naturally extracted from what remains within them, and those once-brilliant objects will fade away into darkness.
    Big Think, Big Think, 6 Feb. 2026
  • As the district exhausted its avenues for appeals since Morath’s initial warning last May, state officials have collected applications for board of managers and superintendent candidates.
    Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Once behind the panel, there should be a hose where the excess water can be drained from the outer drum.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Soil and Water When choosing a place in your yard for skeleton flower plants, select loamy, well-drained, yet moist soil that is rich in organic matter—think forest floor, not a sunny vegetable garden.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The team meticulously marks, measures, and photographs each crater and depression, all the while brushing off questions from villagers befuddled by the interest in this barren, untillable plot of land.
    Kathleen McLaughlin, Science | AAAS, 21 June 2017
Verb
  • In 2004, when China used a similar amount of energy per person as India does now, coal was about ten times cheaper than solar.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Another internal document Lanier showed from YouTube suggested that the video streaming platform be used as a short-term digital babysitter while parents cook, clean or do laundry.
    CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Throughout that autumn and winter, and even as late as 1922, Proust repeatedly compared his own depleted physical condition to that of the Irish republican martyr.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
  • This can also lead to exhaustion and burnout with depleted energy, distracting you from your goals.
    Vicki Salemi, Boston Herald, 1 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Used up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/used%20up. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

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