Synonyms of expend

expend

verb

ik-ˈspend 

1

as in to spend

to hand over or use up in payment

redecoration will have to wait, since we've just expended our last dollar in buying the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spend
• pay
• give
• disburse
• outlay
• lay out
• shell out
• waste
• drop
• fork (over, out, or up)
• lavish
• squander
• dissipate
• rain
• run through
• throw away
• blow
• fritter (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• save
• make
• acquire
• procure
• earn
• realize
• hoard
• gain
• win
• secure
• lay up
• cache
• garner

2

as in to consume

to make complete use of

settlers had to be sure not to expend their supply of firewood before the end of the long winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spend
• consume
• drain
• exhaust
• absorb
• reduce
• deplete
• burn
• use
• eat
• devour
• use up
• decrease
• play out
• waste
• draw down
• run out of
• empty
• diminish
• weaken
• lessen
• downsize
• dwindle
• undermine
• squander
• abate
• bankrupt
• impoverish
• clean (out)
• debilitate
• cripple
• sap
• enfeeble
• disable
• misspend
• guzzle
• dry up
• lower
• blow
• dissipate
• de-escalate
• lavish
• throw away
• run through
• fritter (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• replace
• increase
• renew
• augment
• enforce
• enlarge
• reinforce
• strengthen
• restore
• preserve
• save
• conserve
• repair
• rebuild
• revive
• bolster
• fortify

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of expend

Drone swarms could expose or distract enemy defenses, forcing them to expend interceptors and reveal their positions. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026

Instead of storing up energy in their bulbs for next year’s flowers, your lily plants will expend that energy producing seeds. — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 21 July 2026

However, participants didn’t necessarily expend significantly less energy overall during the sleep-restriction period, according to David Creel, PhD, an exercise physiologist at Cleveland Clinic’s Enterprise Obesity Center. — Brian Mastroianni, Health, 20 July 2026

The first-stage booster flew for a record-tieng 20th time, but was expended getting the payload to medium-Earth orbit. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 July 2026