recycle

1 of 2

verb

re·​cy·​cle (ˌ)rē-ˈsī-kəl How to pronounce recycle (audio)
recycled; recycling; recycles

transitive verb

1
: to pass again through a series of changes or treatments: such as
a
: to process (something, such as liquid body waste, glass, or cans) in order to regain material for human use
c
: to reuse or make (a substance) available for reuse for biological activities through natural processes of biochemical degradation or modification
green plants recycling the residue of forest fires
recycle ADP back to ATP
2
: to adapt to a new use : alter
3
: to bring back : reuse
recycles a number of good anecdotesLarry McMurtry
4
: to make ready for reuse
a plan to recycle vacant tenements
5
: to reuse (money) by investing especially in an area or enterprise that will allow the investment to return as new profits
recycle petrodollars

intransitive verb

1
: to return to an earlier point in a countdown
2
: to return to an original condition so that operation can begin again
used of an electronic device
3
: to process materials or substances (such as liquid body waste, glass, or cans) in order to regain material for human use
As a rule, Welch does not recycle. Its roadsides are littered with paper bags from the town's half-dozen fast-food outlets.
recyclable adjective or noun
recycler noun

recycle

2 of 2

noun

: the process of recycling

Examples of recycle in a Sentence

Verb They're studying various ways to recycle garbage into fuel. The doormat is made from recycled tires. Town residents are required to recycle cans and bottles. We make efforts to recycle. The author recycles a familiar story in her latest novel.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Less than a quarter of e-waste (22.3%) produced in 2022 was documented as collected and recycled, according to the report. Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 Only four of 93 plastic packaging items were confirmed to have ended up in a materials recovery center that sorts plastic for recycling. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 The resort was fully renovated in 2019 and emphasizes reusing and recycling efforts as part of its eco-friendly mission. Cynthia J Drake, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2024 The positions with the new corps could range across a number of fields including energy-efficiency installations, disaster response preparedness, recycling, and wildfire mitigation. Naveena Sadasivam & Kate Yoder / Grist, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 That unleashed a fresh storm of online speculation, with people sharing pet theories about how the image had been manipulated, whether by transposing Catherine’s head from a 2016 cover photo in Vogue magazine or recycling a shot of the family taken last November. Mark Landler, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Made from recycled down, more specifically a combination of reclaimed duck and goose down, this jacket will keep the kiddos warm all season long. Casey Clark, Parents, 5 Mar. 2024 Like all of Stanley’s Quencher tumblers, the neon collection will be recycled stainless steel with a three-position FlowState lid and straw. Emilee Coblentz, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Capito expressed concerns about how such policies could impact the costs of products and the access rural communities have to recycling. Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
The most recent new Taylor Swift album, Midnights, even caught flack for seeming to recycle Antonoff’s past work. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024 The utility has begun researching sustainable options to manage and recycle brine using Zero Liquid Discharge and membrane distillation, technologies that experts hope will treat saline water and wastewater. Arielle Paul, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023 Remove packaging: To save space and boost appearances, remove and recycle product packaging when possible and practical. Marni Jameson, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2024 Dump the contents of the drawer onto the towel and start sorting into keep, recycle, or trash. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 13 Nov. 2023 One common way the Restore recycles is by stripping the wood from broken furniture and turning it into mulch, Watkins said. Marjorie Kirk, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 My teams have worked to build, pilot and scale solutions that can monitor food on its journey to our store shelves as well as the infrastructure to recycle waste properly. Ryan Begin, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 Nationally, only 59% of households that can recycle do. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2024 There are more expensive tiers for those with more waste and complicated materials to recycle; the plan that recycles foam costs $24 a month. Carly Olson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1925, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of recycle was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near recycle

Cite this Entry

“Recycle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recycle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

recycle

verb
re·​cy·​cle
(ˈ)rē-ˈsī-kəl
: to process (as liquid body waste, glass, or cans) in order to regain materials for human use

More from Merriam-Webster on recycle

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