as in infectious
exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others
spreading enthusiasm that got our club rolling again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in disseminating
to cause to be known over a considerable area or by many people
spread the news!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in applying
to put a layer of on a surface
we spread the fertilizer over the lawn evenly until it was fully covered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in circulating
to become known
once news of the war's end had spread, spontaneous celebrations broke out everywhere
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in transmitting
to cause (something) to pass from one to another
living conditions that help to spread chicken pox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in separating
to go or move in different directions from a central point
the walls of the old barn spread under the weight of the snow on the roof
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in increasing
to become greater in size, extent, volume, amount, or number
dissatisfaction with the new administration is spreading rapidly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of spreading
Richard Ramos, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Saturday — the peak day for Easter egg hunts — will see thunderstorms spreading from the southern Plains into the Ohio Valley.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Osborne said the case has to move quickly because of how fast the information is spreading.
—Jennifer Elias,jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
The practice, which has also been spreading nationally, is legal.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Unwinding a large position all at once can trigger a sizable capital gains bill, but spreading sales over multiple years can help reduce the impact.
—Doug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Hosta’s spreading habit complements the elegant, upright shape of hydrangeas.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Apr. 2026
Even minor sparks or drifting embers can incite nearby foliage or grass, setting off a rapidly spreading fire.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2026
The war’s impact is spreading around the world, including in Africa.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
Firefighters were able to contain the fire to a single bus, preventing it from spreading to nearby vehicles.
—Richard Ramos, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Saturday — the peak day for Easter egg hunts — will see thunderstorms spreading from the southern Plains into the Ohio Valley.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Osborne said the case has to move quickly because of how fast the information is spreading.
—Jennifer Elias,jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
The practice, which has also been spreading nationally, is legal.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Unwinding a large position all at once can trigger a sizable capital gains bill, but spreading sales over multiple years can help reduce the impact.
—Doug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Hosta’s spreading habit complements the elegant, upright shape of hydrangeas.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Apr. 2026
Even minor sparks or drifting embers can incite nearby foliage or grass, setting off a rapidly spreading fire.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2026
The war’s impact is spreading around the world, including in Africa.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spreading
Adjective
-
Resort manager Puspa, born in a small village on the east of Bali, can tell you everything there is to know about the local traditions, while farm manager Wayan’s passion for sustainable agriculture is infectious.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That said, whole-virus vaccines can cause more unpleasant side effects, and in rare cases, weakened live pathogens can redevelop infectious capability.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Printmaking and protest Printmaking was one early means of disseminating dissent, said Allison Rudnick, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
No one thought to use it for disseminating knowledge.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Gardeners should carefully read and follow label instructions and avoid applying treatments when pollinators are most active.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Doncic’s agent Bill Duffy said in a statement to ESPN that Doncic planned on applying for such a challenge with the reasoning of his child’s birth.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In addition, for almost two years, his wife, Deltah, drove Henard to Childress every Tuesday for infusions of Keytruda, an immune checkpoint inhibitor used to prevent recurrence of disease by attacking stray cancer cells that may still be circulating in the body.—
Caleb Hellerman,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Posts circulating from activists associated with the Denver chapter of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization included imagery referencing the Red Army Choir, Soviet symbolism and historical figures including Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong.—
Asra Q. Nomani,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Print would go on to play a vital role in the development of capitalism, transmitting price lists, important news, advertisements, and policy disputes all around the world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Jarvere Watson, 39, of Indianapolis, pleaded guilty March 19 to transmitting in interstate commerce a communication that contained a threat to injure the person of another.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One thing to keep in mind is that the bathrooms are open-concept, flowing into the bedroom and living area with no door separating the sink/vanity.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
And the optimization discipline to match it —Agentic Web Optimization — is already separating winners from the rest.—
Aviv Shamny,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The film is set in a mountain village where an elderly woman named Hettie (Hettie Farmer) lives alone on a small farm, tending her flock of goats with increasing difficulty.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
New York City Councilwoman Farah Louis is under increasing scrutiny amid a federal public corruption investigation involving the state’s homeless shelters for migrants.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That means that winemakers across what is now France must have switched from domesticating wild grapes to propagating them directly—that is, cloning grapevines by taking cuttings of the plants to start new groves.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Here are two simple methods for propagating ZZ plants.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spreading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spreading. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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