used to be

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She said crafting helped prisoners, by creating a "sense of travel to the world they might be in one day or the world they used to be in".

From BBC • May 30, 2026

I used to be when I was a kid, but now, unless we’re out on a date, my wife and I are homebodies.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

Chip stocks used to be the gritty part of the tech complex.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

What used to be a vendor relationship is becoming something closer to direct ownership, or at minimum, long-term control over supply that was previously left to market pricing.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

Then, seeing Christopher’s face: “It’s a kind of shark; it sucks ships down beneath the water. There never used to be many—one or two a year, perhaps. But the numbers are growing. This way.”

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell