reuse
Americanverb
noun
Other Word Forms
Explanation
To reuse something is to make use of it more than once, or for a subsequent time. Asking for a plastic bag at the grocery store might seem wasteful, but you can reuse that bag many times. Instead of throwing something away after using it once, ask yourself if there's any way you can reuse it. You can reuse a paper towel roll by putting it in your hamster's cage so he can crawl through and chew on it. You can reuse containers like glass jars and plastic tubs by storing leftovers in them. You can even reuse kitchen scraps by composting them and using the compost in your garden.
Vocabulary lists containing reuse
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Keep Wales Tidy said the statistics showed significantly reduced drinks-container litter, improved the quality of collected materials, and enabled higher-value recycling or reuse.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
If nature tends to reuse the same biological solutions, predicting future adaptations may become more achievable than previously thought.
From Science Daily • May 4, 2026
I am so eager to see our newspaper used in a tactical, whimsical way — a reuse option that’s been there all along.
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026
It was Blue Origin’s third launch of the New Glenn rocket and its first attempt to reuse its booster.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026
“I had the pattern for the piratas and everything. I bought hooks for their hands and was even going to reuse those patches that Merci used to wear for her eye exercises.”
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
