use up
Britishverb
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to finish (a supply); consume completely
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to exhaust; wear out
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Consume completely, as in The kids used up all their money playing video games . [Late 1700s]
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Exhaust, tire out, as in I'm totally used up from digging that hole . [ Colloquial ; mid-1800s]
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.
The chip manufacturer said it would use up to $21 billion from Japan under the country’s commitment last year to invest $550 billion across strategic U.S. industries such as energy, semiconductor manufacturing and shipbuilding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Walmart said it would use up to $3bn of expected tariff refunds to lower prices in a bid to keep customers spending.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Under state law, dealers in California may continue to use up supplies of paraquat for up to two years following the effective date of their cancellation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Four of those seven were airlines or cruise-ship operators, which use up a lot of fuel.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 7, 2026
“When did I say that you should use up all the gas in the car just to buy stupid ground beef?”
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
