reuse
Americanverb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
SpaceXAI promised that it would build a water reuse facility, but that project has been suspended.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
But seeing the fashion world try out reuse programs is a promising sign, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Ubisoft had to make lots of calls about what to reuse and change from the original.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
These include solid state electronic cooling systems with no moving parts, devices that convert heat into electricity, chip based electronics, and cogeneration systems that capture and reuse waste heat from industrial processes.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 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
RadixArk’s inference engine reuses KV cache by organizing conversation snippets into a filing system called a Radix tree.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
She said she reuses the Cheetos in her artwork.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2024
Depending on the type of clothing and its condition, H&M donates the clothing to charity, recycles it, or reuses it to make new clothing to sell.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2023
By flying its own cargo 30 times in a year on rockets it reuses, the company’s engineers can optimize the launch vehicles.
From New York Times ● Dec. 29, 2022
Like well-run factories, cells are thrifty; part of the cellular machinery chops up and reuses anything that is floating around inside, including bits of the cell and foreign invaders such as viruses.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
The association said the kit rejected "reused designs", and that Sudu had worked with the association and fans "to understand the DNA of the nation".
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
"There's no external energy input and it can be reused for batch after batch of feedstock," said Kate Griffiths, a chemical analyst at the Royal Mint.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
It expects the first stage of the Long March rocket to be reused for flight by the end of the year.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
Only a portion is reused in food manufacturing, while much of the remainder is discarded.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026
The “tea” consisted of old leaves which had been crushed and reused so often they did little more than color the water.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
The practice of reusing parts from junked cars is common in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The legislation also requires ultra-fast fashion companies to display messages on their websites promoting more moderate consumption, including reusing and repairing clothing.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
"By reusing plastic waste that is already in Hawaii, we can reduce the environmental and economic impacts of transporting waste plastics from the islands, incinerating it or dumping it in Hawaii's overflowing landfills."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
As well as reusing window blinds and kitchen units, Ali attempted to have the laminate flooring he had installed in his old office removed and reused in his new one.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
The looting dates back millennia, with the Inka having ravaged the centers of their predecessors, sometimes reusing art and stonework.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
