Use up meaning in English

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Definition

to use up (all the batteries): to consume, to exhaust, to deplete, to finish (all the batteries) verb

We have to buy more ink for the printer because Bob has used it up by printing out pictures of his son.

Examples

"I think you have a few sick days to use up by the end of the year."
"Polly : I believe you've already used up all your sick days this month, Cheeter."

Exercise 1

Select the TRUE statements from the list below.

There may be more than one correct answer!

Some departments at Delavigne have not used their entire annual budget.

Icarus has written proposals for each department's budget.

Icarus wants to cut the budget of the R&D department.

Icarus is not very worried about the excess spending of certain departments.

Select the TRUE statements from the list below.

There may be more than one correct answer!

Some departments at Delavigne have not used their entire annual budget.

This is correct. Icarus says "Several departments...did not spend all of the money they were allocated at last year's budget approval meeting." To "use up" means to consume completely, for example: I have used up all my money and now I cannot buy any chocolate. To "allocate (money)" is to put aside money for a particular purpose, for example: Each department was allocated funds for new projects.

Icarus has written proposals for each department's budget.

This is incorrect. Icarus makes no mention of writing budget proposals for each department. Usually, it is the departments themselves that write proposals for their own budget. Icarus suggests that the board should make a decision regarding the departmental budgets "after reading their respective budget proposals".

Icarus wants to cut the budget of the R&D department.

This is incorrect. Although Icarus does address the budget of the R&D department, he does not at any point propose to cut (or reduce or eliminate) its budget.

Icarus is not very worried about the excess spending of certain departments.

This is correct. Icarus mentions two departments which overspent (spent more than were supposed to), however he says that "in both cases, this is not terribly, uh, serious, because our earnings more than compensate for these expenses." This means that the Delavigne Corporation is making more money than it is spending and consequently, Icarus is not concerned with these expenses.

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