How to Use hand-me-down in a Sentence

hand-me-down

adjective
  • The sound is hand-me-down, but the hope in her voice is brand new.
    Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2024
  • The sweater was a hand-me-down from her mother, and the hat once belonged to her son.
    Daisuke Wakabayashi, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024
  • Don’t be afraid to paint things white—new pieces, heirlooms, hand-me-downs.
    Eleni N. Gage, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Apr. 2023
  • Both my first and middle names were hand-me-downs, the monikers of my parents' good friends.
    April Wallace, arkansasonline.com, 3 Oct. 2024
  • That way, siblings can still look stylish in hand-me-downs that will still feel fresh.
    Hitha Herzog, Parents, 10 July 2023
  • My mom grew up very poor, and her clothes were hand-me-downs or her stepmom made them.
    Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2023
  • Kate Hudson knows the importance of a good hand-me-down.
    Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024
  • A lot of these kids have been playing in hand-me-down shoes, two sizes too small or with no grip left.
    Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2024
  • His voice is as deep as a canyon, tough as tree bark and weathered like a hand-me-down saddle.
    Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 27 Jan. 2024
  • Yes, they were banned years ago, but some are still around, including as hand-me-downs.
    Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2024
  • To carry out the revenge, Manta needs to repair his suit (which looks like a hand-me-down from the Ant-Man movies).
    Olivia McCormack, Washington Post, 21 Dec. 2023
  • Another hand-me-down, that thing, with tires that were beyond flat.
    The Indianapolis Star, 19 Mar. 2023
  • Then, to get a new fishing pole and not a hand-me-down one from your grandfather or uncle was a big deal.
    John Carlisle and Visuals By Ryan Garza, Freep.com, 11 June 2023
  • Their team, the Strikers, has a roster of rejects in hand-me-down coats and lacks good equipment, a deep bench and a coach who shows up on time.
    Ellen Piligian, Detroit Free Press, 7 Jan. 2024
  • Or donate old gadgets to someone else on this list, who will be happy to get your hand-me-downs!
    Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2023
  • Middle children recall their wardrobe of hand-me-downs.
    Allie Volpe, Vox, 10 June 2024
  • But there’s no Botox at this backyard bar: The hand-me-down hubcaps and rusted bikes are still hanging on the fences, and the best seat is still from an old truck bed.
    Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 13 Mar. 2023
  • Bier’s family had less money than Jonathan’s, and the richer boy would often give him hand-me-downs.
    Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2024
  • This is the tradition that Hsieh decided to mine, a sort of hand-me-down from his father and grandmother.
    Tim Carman, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2023
  • Jenna’s stoop sale inspired a pack of city dwellers eager to get their hands on her hand-me-downs to queue around a SoHo block one Tuesday in June.
    Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 1 Aug. 2024
  • Any dad trying to parent well in 2023 knows that a hand-me-down set of wooden blocks and a rubber ball are going to last kids only so long.
    Paul Kita, Men's Health, 9 May 2023
  • Also, remember there's no reason not to get hand-me-down clothes, says Diaz.
    Madison Medeiros, Parents, 23 Oct. 2023
  • These are Christmas pajamas that will become hand-me-downs.
    Jessica Booth, Parents, 14 Nov. 2023
  • With just a $40 allowance, residents are dressed in ill-fitting hand-me-downs or hospital gowns that drape open.
    Matt Sedensky, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Mar. 2023
  • Nwora's two months with the Pacers are a shining example of just how valuable someone else's hand-me-downs can be.
    Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Apr. 2023
  • The next item on my agenda was addressing my bed frame, which, much like the mattress, was a hand-me-down with broken slats that left my mattress sinking.
    Alexis Jackson, refinery29.com, 26 Apr. 2024
  • The three of them had become close as the mother and daughter frequented the store, with Hughes often giving the two of them hand-me-down clothes from his own children.
    David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 1 May 2024
  • There have been promising leads before: a firefighter recovered one of Mark’s hand-me-down LA Gear sneakers on the beach.
    Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 22 July 2023
  • The fleet of eight hand-me-downs solidly beat the offerings at local shops, which mostly rent only electric bikes, charging $130 a day for e-bike rentals.
    Elaine Glusac, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2023
  • 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, 3 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hand-me-down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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