vending machine

noun

: a coin-operated machine for selling merchandise

Examples of vending machine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For those traveling in standard class with Comfort tickets, there’s a Starbucks, Shot Neighbourhood Coffee, WHSmith and soon-to-open McDonald's, along with a vending machine selling affordable hot meals. — Sophia Dyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026 The ancient Greeks are also credited with giving us the yo-yo, the alarm clock, and the holy water dispenser—like a vending machine of sorts. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026 Figuring out how to plan weekly meals without a full kitchen is what separates a semester fueled by vending machine potato chips from one where your brain actually works in class. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026 The tragedy has shaken students across campus Across campus, vending machines that offer free Narcan – an over-the-counter nasal spray version of naloxone used to rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose – have been emptied, WMC reported. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vending machine

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vending machine was circa 1895

Rhymes for vending machine

See All Rhymes for vending machine

Browse Nearby Words

vendible
vending machine
vendition
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vending machine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vending%20machine. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

vending machine

noun
: a machine from which one may get merchandise after putting in coins

More from Merriam-Webster on vending machine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vending machine

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