spawned; spawning; spawns
1
: to deposit or fertilize spawn
2
: to produce young especially in large numbers
1
a
: to produce or deposit (eggs)
—used of an aquatic animal
b
: to induce (fish) to spawn
c
: to plant with mushroom spawn
2
: bring forth, generate
the idea spawned controversy
spawner
noun
Synonyms
Examples of spawn in a Sentence
Verb
The health-food craze spawned a multimillion-dollar industry.
the incident that spawned a generation of student protests
a TV show that spawned a host of imitations
Noun
Pacific salmon return to Alaskan streams to deposit their spawn.
sometimes I think those little brats are the spawn of Satan himself
Recent Examples on the Web
Sam Smith, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2024
Networks like Bravo and TLC spawned subcultures of obsessives.
—Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
The series spawned five previous films before running out of gas with the 2013 installment.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
The turnpike spawned commuter suburbs that sprawled across the rural pockets between Fort Worth and Dallas, which, before the highway, seemed much more distant from each other.
—Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024
The original Omen has spawned a number of remakes, sequels, and now, a prequel, with director Arkasha Stevenson's The First Omen delving into the terrifying conspiracy that brought about Damien's birth in Rome.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
In the years since his first appearance, Superman has become one of the most recognizable and enduring characters in American pop culture, spawning blockbuster movies, books, toys, and even bubble gum.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Every year, hordes of crappie flock to the shallows to spawn.
—Don Wirth, Field & Stream, 4 Apr. 2024
In the documentary, which spawned a Billboard chart-topping soundtrack titled Country Music: A Film by Ken Burns, there is an extensive exploration of the African roots of the banjo and how pivotal the instrument was, in addition to Black and Mexican musicians, in cultivating the genre.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2024
Why: Miller says that all the snook will ultimately make their way to inlets to stage before running the beaches to spawn.
—Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2024
Read Next California Rare sunflower sea stars spawn at California aquarium.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2024
In the fall, adult kokanee turn bright red and journey up small inlet streams to spawn.
—Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
Top tip: The migration also coincides with the Sardine Run, between May and July, where the sardines spawn in the South African waters, attracting super-pods of whales and dolphins, diving birds and even sharks.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Jan. 2024
That opportunity would be multiplied if the new spot bitcoin ETFs begin to spawn variants, says Tejpaul.
—Joel Khalili, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2024
Volunteers may also see biologists and researchers capturing, measuring, weighing and tagging sturgeon when the sturgeon spawn run is active.
—Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
The game also is credited with helping spawn baseball’s sabermetrics movement because of the way statistics on Strat player cards can be evaluated.
—Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2024
Verb
Monticello boasted celebrity charter members including Jerry Seinfeld and NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon, and its success spawned a host of competitors.
—Sam Smith, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2024
Networks like Bravo and TLC spawned subcultures of obsessives.
—Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
The series spawned five previous films before running out of gas with the 2013 installment.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
The turnpike spawned commuter suburbs that sprawled across the rural pockets between Fort Worth and Dallas, which, before the highway, seemed much more distant from each other.
—Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024
The original Omen has spawned a number of remakes, sequels, and now, a prequel, with director Arkasha Stevenson's The First Omen delving into the terrifying conspiracy that brought about Damien's birth in Rome.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
In the years since his first appearance, Superman has become one of the most recognizable and enduring characters in American pop culture, spawning blockbuster movies, books, toys, and even bubble gum.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Every year, hordes of crappie flock to the shallows to spawn.
—Don Wirth, Field & Stream, 4 Apr. 2024
In the documentary, which spawned a Billboard chart-topping soundtrack titled Country Music: A Film by Ken Burns, there is an extensive exploration of the African roots of the banjo and how pivotal the instrument was, in addition to Black and Mexican musicians, in cultivating the genre.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
Noun
The pedigree that one of Starck's characters creates for the monster allows readers to see him as something legendary and much older than the spawn of an online forum.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2024
Why: Miller says that all the snook will ultimately make their way to inlets to stage before running the beaches to spawn.
—Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2024
Read Next California Rare sunflower sea stars spawn at California aquarium.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2024
In the fall, adult kokanee turn bright red and journey up small inlet streams to spawn.
—Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
Top tip: The migration also coincides with the Sardine Run, between May and July, where the sardines spawn in the South African waters, attracting super-pods of whales and dolphins, diving birds and even sharks.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Jan. 2024
That opportunity would be multiplied if the new spot bitcoin ETFs begin to spawn variants, says Tejpaul.
—Joel Khalili, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2024
Volunteers may also see biologists and researchers capturing, measuring, weighing and tagging sturgeon when the sturgeon spawn run is active.
—Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
The game also is credited with helping spawn baseball’s sabermetrics movement because of the way statistics on Strat player cards can be evaluated.
—Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spawn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near spawn
Cite this Entry
“Spawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spawn. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spawn
1 of 2 verb
ˈspȯn 
ˈspän
1
: to deposit or fertilize eggs
fish swimming upstream to spawn
2
: to produce young especially in large numbers
3
spawner
noun
spawn
2 of 2 noun1
: the eggs of aquatic animals (as fishes or oysters) that lay many small eggs
2
: product sense 2, offspring
also
: something produced in large quantities
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