used to

British  

/ juːst /

adjective

1. made familiar with; accustomed to

   I am used to hitchhiking

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verb

1. (takes an infinitive or implied infinitive) used as an auxiliary to express habitual or accustomed actions, states, etc, taking place in the past but not continuing into the present

   I don't drink these days, but I used to

   I used to fish here every day

used to Idioms  

1. Accustomed or habituated to. This expression is often put as , as in I'm not used to driving a manual-shift car , or She can't get used to calling him Dad . [Early 1500s]

2. Formerly. This sense is used with a following verb to indicate a past state, as in I used to ride my bicycle to the post office , or This used to be the best restaurant in town . [Late 1800s]

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Usage

The most common negative form of used to is didn't used to (or didn't use to ), but in formal contexts used not to is preferred

Example Sentences

A new review published in Science finds that these organisms are not fully represented in the climate models used to predict Earth's future.

From Science Daily

MHF is also used to clean semiconductor surfaces and produce pesticides and herbicides in the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries, according to the Torrance Refinery.

From Los Angeles Times

"I used to think it was a way to calm myself prior to a show or to chase loneliness," he told Charleston.com in 2023.

From BBC

“I used to be our drummer,” he told the lead vocalist of the band Candlebox in an interview.

From Los Angeles Times

In Nigeria what is known as a "polyvalent antivenom" is usually used to treat snakebites, which means it can be used for bites from a variety of snakes.

From BBC