1
as in taints
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
too much coddling will spoil the child
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposes
to go through decomposition
the meat has spoiled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damages
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
know when to stop, for an unnecessary brushstroke can spoil a painted portrait
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in indulges
to treat with great or excessive care
when they were newlyweds, the wife tended to spoil her husband, but she soon got over that
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spoils
James Pearce, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
This dish will stay good for up to a month in the fridge, but good luck holding on to a jar for that long without eating all its spoils first.
—Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
Many middle-income consumers own homes and have shared the spoils from rising property values, Zandi said.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Instead, what outsiders mistake as a lack of control is usually careful management of who gets to steal and how the spoils are distributed.
—Zephyr Teachout, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
Yet leagues and players have a long history of hashing out how to fairly divide the spoils of their joint efforts, sometimes more amicably than others.
—Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The image of your mother being too sleepy to enjoy the spoils of her own hard work—or to even be fully present as her children enjoyed those spoils—struck me as such a succinct encapsulation of her sacrifice and her heroism, as well as their drawbacks.
—G'ra Asim
september 16, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2025
Drescher had intended the fund to be a means of distributing the spoils of the streaming era among a large group of union members, as THR reported at the time.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, The Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Sep. 2025
Pre-cut produce also spoils quicker and could pick up pathogens when sliced open.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 Sep. 2025
Farmers don’t typically grow pawpaws because the raw fruit spoils easily and is difficult to ship, according to the Kansas State University Extension Office.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2025
This post spoils the entirety of My Life With the Walter Boys Season 2, specifically the finale.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
The Dolphins quarterback leaves undefeated, as the defense spoils Mike Vrabel’s first trip to Hard Rock Stadium as New England’s head coach.
—Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2025
Noun
Performances have undoubtedly been patchy but Liverpool were seconds away from securing a share of the spoils at both Selhurst Park and Stamford Bridge.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
This dish will stay good for up to a month in the fridge, but good luck holding on to a jar for that long without eating all its spoils first.
—Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
Many middle-income consumers own homes and have shared the spoils from rising property values, Zandi said.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Instead, what outsiders mistake as a lack of control is usually careful management of who gets to steal and how the spoils are distributed.
—Zephyr Teachout, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
Yet leagues and players have a long history of hashing out how to fairly divide the spoils of their joint efforts, sometimes more amicably than others.
—Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The image of your mother being too sleepy to enjoy the spoils of her own hard work—or to even be fully present as her children enjoyed those spoils—struck me as such a succinct encapsulation of her sacrifice and her heroism, as well as their drawbacks.
—G'ra Asim
september 16, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2025
Drescher had intended the fund to be a means of distributing the spoils of the streaming era among a large group of union members, as THR reported at the time.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, The Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Nothing spoils a Sunday afternoon outside with the family quite like your youngest child being carried off by a horde of maladjusted howler monkeys.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Sep. 2025
Pre-cut produce also spoils quicker and could pick up pathogens when sliced open.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 Sep. 2025
Farmers don’t typically grow pawpaws because the raw fruit spoils easily and is difficult to ship, according to the Kansas State University Extension Office.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2025
This post spoils the entirety of My Life With the Walter Boys Season 2, specifically the finale.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
The Dolphins quarterback leaves undefeated, as the defense spoils Mike Vrabel’s first trip to Hard Rock Stadium as New England’s head coach.
—Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoils
Verb
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The film centered on the Environmental Protection Agency encasing the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield in a dome after Homer taints the area’s water supply.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When leaves fall to the ground, the carbon stays in these leaves, breaks down, and decomposes and releases nutrients back into the soil that plants can take in.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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The calculation, called the Fourier transform, decomposes any function into its parts.—
Shalma Wegsman,
Quanta Magazine,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Feinerman explained that dryness in the eyes can cause an inflammatory response that damages the pigment layer of the macula, accelerating eye aging.—
Claire Bugos,
Verywell Health,
25 Sep. 2025
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These instructions help turn off the harmful protein that damages brain cells.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The falling soufflé as a symbol of the crumbling hotel is the kind of heavy-handed touch Solnicki rarely indulges.—
Caryn James,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Aug. 2025
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So much eye-candy value is maximized by David Schuurman’s widescreen photography, which frequently indulges us further with sweeping drone’s-eye views of spectacular landscapes.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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If Britain continues down the path of criminalizing thought and prayer, the alliance risks being reduced to polite diplomacy while its moral core rots away.—
Lois McLatchie Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Gafford injures ankle The Mavericks are likely to be without one of their major frontcourt pieces this preseason.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Automobility directly or indirectly causes one in 34 deaths annually, injures more than 100 million people a year, and has killed as many people as the two World Wars combined.—
Henrietta Moore,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sports events, social outings, movies, the theater, fun get-togethers, playful activities with kids – do whatever pleases you and brings you joy.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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On July 21, 1715, a hurricane struck — wrecking the ships and releasing their treasures into the sea, according to The Associated Press.—
Ashley J. DiMella , Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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Visit an antique store In honor of Kim's Antiques, pop into a local vintage shop and try to find any Stars Hollow-like treasures — maybe even a quirky piece for your home.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spoils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoils. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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