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.
Four of those seven were airlines or cruise-ship operators, which use up a lot of fuel.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 7, 2026
There are worse ways to use up a can of beans.
From Salon • May 5, 2026
As they use up the rest of their hardwoods, they plan to keep working with fallen trees, whether through Angel City Lumber or other sources.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
In the comments, islanders suggested different ways for the groups to use up the fruit.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
“Don’t use up the batteries,” Mother warned as Nhamo delightedly clicked it on and off.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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.
