as in secondhand
owned or used by someone after it had been owned or used by someone else
—used especially of clothing
He was wearing an old, hand-me-down jacket.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hand-me-down
Mike Dojc, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Through it all—the fights, the coupon cutting, the hand-me-downs, the breakdowns—with love, humor and perseverance, the family prevails.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2025
Many would say to just call Mama when all else fails, but if that’s not an option, see if this hand-me-down advice can help get you back on track—one sanity-saving load at a time.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2025
Even as an adult, little brother still gets hand-me-downs.
—Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Adjective
His plucky nickname—born from the ‘Loosey-goosey’ rhyme and shared with his father—is less of a hand-me-down and more of a savvy branding decision.
—Mike Dojc, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Through it all—the fights, the coupon cutting, the hand-me-downs, the breakdowns—with love, humor and perseverance, the family prevails.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2025
Many would say to just call Mama when all else fails, but if that’s not an option, see if this hand-me-down advice can help get you back on track—one sanity-saving load at a time.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2025
Even as an adult, little brother still gets hand-me-downs.
—Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-me-down
Adjective
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Watching the two of them on screen together, still cohabiting despite the impending split, is peak secondhand discomfort.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Second, normcore pieces are widely available in secondhand markets.—
Zoe Bayliss Wong,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Now, his wheels aren’t the same and those often turn into throwaways or sacks.—
Charlotte Carroll,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Every cold open featuring Harris and her cohort just rehashed each week’s news cycle, with throwaways to Johnson’s Trump and Bowen Yang as J.D. Vance featuring the two often just reciting actual statements made along the campaign trail, as if the lunacy of it all couldn’t be made more ridiculous.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But over the next nine episodes of season one, now airing on Netflix, the audience is fed scraps of truth about Danny’s professional and personal relationships with Xander.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
3 Apr. 2025
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Then, toss in kitchen scraps such as banana peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and tea bags.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-me-down. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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