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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Recent Examples of hand-me-down
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 24 June 2025
Family hand-me-downs, thrifted items, and keepsakes are what make maximalist spaces one-of-a-kind.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2025
And Ming has a lot more hand-me-downs to look forward to.
—Janine Rubenstein, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Within the entertainment industry even our job titles are non-descriptive hand-me-downs from a bygone era and more often than not are negotiation points and not unilaterally indicative of any one role.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Noun
That’s why a baby monitor can be a lifesaver, but not any old hand-me-down model will do.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 24 June 2025
Family hand-me-downs, thrifted items, and keepsakes are what make maximalist spaces one-of-a-kind.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2025
And Ming has a lot more hand-me-downs to look forward to.
—Janine Rubenstein, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Within the entertainment industry even our job titles are non-descriptive hand-me-downs from a bygone era and more often than not are negotiation points and not unilaterally indicative of any one role.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-me-down
Adjective
-
And Chain Store Age reported that a survey of consumers showed that price hikes from new tariffs will pump an already booming secondhand economy.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 July 2025
-
Parents plan to spend an average of $570 per child this year—so shopping early and considering secondhand or store-brand items can make a big difference.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
25 July 2025
Noun
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Shanks admitted to spending the entire music budget on the rights to it, which speaks to the great importance he’s placed on a throwaway pun.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
31 July 2025
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Continuing her renaissance after The Last Showgirl, Anderson displays impeccable comic timing, never leaning too hard into a line when her breathy throwaway delivery can land a bigger laugh.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
Display advertising and native content shifted en masse to the tech giants, leaving media companies to fight over the scraps.—
Calum Chace,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
-
The protectionist trade policy, often at odds with environmental goals, is in fact building the economic case for recycling the millions of tonnes of scrap metal exported every year.—
Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-me-down. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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