1
as in spending
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in consuming
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expending
Some argue that instead of expending resources and effort to knock its adversaries off balance, the United States should invest in itself and its distinct advantages, including existing and new relationships with allies, friends, and partners.
—
Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
The process of expending off energy makes a dying star what's called a red giant, before the white dwarf remains.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 11 Dec. 2025
Noise from loud ‘information laden’ conversations and music, task interruptions, alerts from social media applications, email, Teams calls, visual distractions all of which break your concentration and require you to re-focus expending un-necessary cognitive energy.
—Andrew Mawson, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Drawing on decades of lessons learned from previous space missions, this technique involves the use of atmospheric drag over the course of multiple passes to change orbits while expending minimal fuel.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2025
Men at the farmhouse responded by blasting away with guns, expending boxes of ammunition to no effect.
—Josh Wood, The Courier-Journal, 6 Aug. 2025
Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
The process of expending off energy makes a dying star what's called a red giant, before the white dwarf remains.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 11 Dec. 2025
Noise from loud ‘information laden’ conversations and music, task interruptions, alerts from social media applications, email, Teams calls, visual distractions all of which break your concentration and require you to re-focus expending un-necessary cognitive energy.
—Andrew Mawson, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Drawing on decades of lessons learned from previous space missions, this technique involves the use of atmospheric drag over the course of multiple passes to change orbits while expending minimal fuel.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2025
Men at the farmhouse responded by blasting away with guns, expending boxes of ammunition to no effect.
—Josh Wood, The Courier-Journal, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expending
Verb
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Instead of spending scarce early capital on headcount or agencies, founders can test more ideas, move faster and lower the cost of getting started.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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People are spending more time in the gym; zeroing in on wellness and longevity; and even planning their holidays around fitness and wellness offerings.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The carnivore diet is a meal plan that includes consuming only animal products such as meat, dairy and eggs, Fox News Digital has previously reported.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Video is also slower and more time consuming.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This hits home for us in Massachusetts, and residents should be paying attention.—
Jennifer Nassour,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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Consumers are paying more attention than ever before.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Clay-heavy soils under many Michigan roads, especially around Metro Detroit, trap moisture rather than draining it.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Public schools in Florida are funded on a per-student basis, and schools that operate at about half capacity or less typically do not generate enough money to be self-supporting, instead draining the district’s budget.—
Steven Walker,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Gentry had both of those things, but he is headed to the NFL after exhausting his eligibility.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
22 Jan. 2026
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Productivity improvements—many already visible—are sufficient to support that level of prosperity without exhausting the planet.—
Chris Bradley,
Fortune,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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They are expected to deliver essential services while absorbing funding delays, underpaid contracts, and rising costs with little margin for error.—
Cat Ward,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Time spent on the job is both the biggest expense and the hardest to accurately gauge, leaving firms to choose between surprising clients with a larger bill or absorbing the additional cost.—
Danielle Higley,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Oatmeal specifically touts many benefits, including being a valuable source of numerous vitamins, antioxidants and fiber; moreover, studies indicate that the biochemical composition of the grain can help improve the gut microbiome in addition to reducing blood glucose levels as well.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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But since then, SpaceX too has worked on reducing the brightness of its satellites.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The company is effectively depleting its pandemic-era cash reserves to finance development initiatives.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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Increasingly crowded waters and rising ocean temperatures that appear to be influencing sharks' migratory patterns may be contributing to a rise in attacks despite overfishing depleting some species, scientists say.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expending. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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