vending machine

noun

: a coin-operated machine for selling merchandise

Examples of vending machine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Really, the entrance to that hell is a shot of a vending machine full of only red Gatorade, and the sculpting work that the sound team did to blend the grating atmospheric noise of the ER, Finneas’s tense score, and the key sound effects that connect us to Ashley’s fear and pain. Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026 Jackson County Public Health is rolling out a series of vending machines that will contain free health items, like fentanyl test strips, first aid kits, condoms, hand sanitizer, and Naloxone, the life-saving drug that can reverse an opioid overdose. Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026 The first collection of Richard Scarry mini prints launched in September 2025 with 20 vending machines and has since grown to 42 vending machines across 30 states, placed in independent bookstores and specialty retailers, as well as a terminal in New York's Grand Central Station. Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026 Complimentary water and coffee are available on board, along with vending machines for snacks (there’s no café car). Elliott Harrell, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vending machine

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vending machine was circa 1895

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Cite this Entry

“Vending machine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vending%20machine. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

vending machine

noun
: a machine from which one may get merchandise after putting in coins

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