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
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
Founded by Pip Durell, who grew up wearing hand-me-down cricket jumpers and rugby shirts, WNU has crafted this timeless collection to celebrate both the preppy style and sporting tradition that has become a quintessential part of London’s spring fashion landscape.
—Angela Lei, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Noun
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
Founded by Pip Durell, who grew up wearing hand-me-down cricket jumpers and rugby shirts, WNU has crafted this timeless collection to celebrate both the preppy style and sporting tradition that has become a quintessential part of London’s spring fashion landscape.
—Angela Lei, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-me-down
Adjective
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Reporting from human intelligence assets – spies or unwitting informers with firsthand or secondhand knowledge – may provide information on internal Iranian assessments.—
Joshua Rovner,
The Conversation,
2 July 2025
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In fact, 63% of retailers are already operating or starting a secondhand channel.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
25 June 2025
Noun
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That’s not Disney embracing gay relationships but simply yet another throwaway nod in a script that mines every possible Greek trope for one-off jokes.—
David Benedict,
Variety,
24 June 2025
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Hellman’s true feelings about the difference between theater and cinema, though, might be best revealed in a seeming throwaway line in the first scene of The Children’s Hour.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Kimmel said the country has an oversupply domestically of scrap metal, if U.S. companies cannot export.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
3 July 2025
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Any small scraps left behind after cleaning can also cause sparks during cooking.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-me-down. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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