Exploited

USED

Think of how something might be described after it's no longer new or fresh—like a car with miles on it or a book that’s been read many times.

"Exploited" hints at something being taken advantage of, which directly points to "USED" as the answer. The wordplay is straightforward—"exploited" and "used" share the same core meaning of utilizing something for benefit, often with a slightly negative connotation. Think of how you might say a resource was used up or a situation was used for personal gain. No tricks here, just a direct synonym match.