single-use
adjective
sin·gle-use
ˈsiŋ-gəl-ˈyüs 
variants
or less commonly single use
: intended or designed to be used once and then discarded
single-use plastics
single-use paper products
Surgical masks are single-use face coverings that are designed to act as a barrier to sneezes or other potential exchanges of germs.—
Anandi Barker
Anandi BarkerExamples of single-use in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Governments should help schools move away from single-use plastics that touch hot food, through public funding to help districts shift to safer trays, reusable serviceware, and dishwashing capacity.
—Justin Zorn, STAT, 28 Apr. 2026
The production composted food waste, did not use plastic water bottles and other single-use items, recycled pieces of set for local schools or families instead of sending them to landfill, and ran a can-recycling program.
—Michelle Duff, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
Eco effort The rooms here are free of single-use plastic; amenities come in refillable bottles and drinking water comes in glass.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
Reducing single-use waste helps reduce landfill overflow and conserve valuable resources.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2026
Token, pushover human Seth (Gil Ozeri) lives under the thumb of the tiny, domineering dog Brandi (the incomparable Amy Sedaris), a high maintenance diva with a yen for single-use Stanley cups.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Earth Day on the 22nd is a wonderful anchor for habits around sustainability like planting something, spending more intentional time outside, or cutting back on single-use plastics.
—Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
Other goals in the plan call for reducing trash, phasing out single-use plastic by 2032 and increasing composing of organic waste.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
But there were plenty of out-there, single-use apps, like one that dropped motorcycles from the ceiling.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
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Justin Zorn, STAT, 28 Apr. 2026
The production composted food waste, did not use plastic water bottles and other single-use items, recycled pieces of set for local schools or families instead of sending them to landfill, and ran a can-recycling program.
—Michelle Duff, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
Eco effort The rooms here are free of single-use plastic; amenities come in refillable bottles and drinking water comes in glass.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
Reducing single-use waste helps reduce landfill overflow and conserve valuable resources.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2026
Token, pushover human Seth (Gil Ozeri) lives under the thumb of the tiny, domineering dog Brandi (the incomparable Amy Sedaris), a high maintenance diva with a yen for single-use Stanley cups.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Earth Day on the 22nd is a wonderful anchor for habits around sustainability like planting something, spending more intentional time outside, or cutting back on single-use plastics.
—Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
Other goals in the plan call for reducing trash, phasing out single-use plastic by 2032 and increasing composing of organic waste.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
But there were plenty of out-there, single-use apps, like one that dropped motorcycles from the ceiling.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Single-use.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single-use. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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