use up

verb

used up; using up; uses up

transitive verb

: to exhaust of strength or useful properties

land that has been used up

Synonyms of use up

• spend
• consume
• drain
• exhaust
• play out
• draw down
• run out of
• reduce
• use
• absorb
• burn

Examples of use up in a Sentence

we used up the last of the flour when we made the waffles

Recent Examples on the Web

Try to find homes for these items under cabinets, in the pantry, or other places where they can easily be accessed without using up countertop real estate when not in use. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026

High-end ordnance used up in Iran is ordnance unavailable for other contingencies, whether in Europe or the Indo-Pacific. —Jon Duffy, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026

The Hidden Cost of Saving a Night The argument in support of same-day arrival usually comes down to money and time—one fewer hotel night, one fewer restaurant meal, one fewer vacation day used up. —Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2026

This single observation suggests that, during strong wind conditions, each rotor would contribute about 1 MW of propulsion, even when using up its own 20 kW of spinning power. —Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1712, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for use up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup

Kids Definition

use up

verb

: to make complete use of : exhaust

used up all the supplies