1
as in spends
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 consumes
to make complete use of
settlers had to be sure not to expend their supply of firewood before the end of the long winter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of expends
If the stalk is left alone, the plant expends energy creating seeds instead of new blooms.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
This spiritual sequel to ‘Frankenstein’ is a romantic tale of obsession, possession and fantasy — adjectives that also apply to its filmmaker, Maggie Gyllenhaal, who expends massive quantities of energy jolting it to life.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
This upper stage of the rocket kicks in above 62 miles (100 kilometers), once the core stage expends all its propellant.
—Marcos Fernandez Tous, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
The familiarity expends to the animation itself, courtesy of the prolific Titmouse studio.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026
Targeting multiple muscle groups expends calories more efficiently.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 5 Feb. 2026
Virtually every cell on every branch of the tree of life expends a hefty chunk of its energy budget — in some cells, more than half — on maintaining a voltage across its membrane.
—Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2026
The places facing existential climate risks—especially those in the Deep South—are mostly in states that have long been considered politically uncompetitive, where neither party expends much effort or money to gain votes.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
China’s apparent surge in missile production comes as the US expends sophisticated defense systems in Ukraine and Israel, causing some ammunition shortages and sparking debate in Washington about how and where to deploy its high-end weapons.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
This spiritual sequel to ‘Frankenstein’ is a romantic tale of obsession, possession and fantasy — adjectives that also apply to its filmmaker, Maggie Gyllenhaal, who expends massive quantities of energy jolting it to life.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
This upper stage of the rocket kicks in above 62 miles (100 kilometers), once the core stage expends all its propellant.
—Marcos Fernandez Tous, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
The familiarity expends to the animation itself, courtesy of the prolific Titmouse studio.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026
Targeting multiple muscle groups expends calories more efficiently.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 5 Feb. 2026
Virtually every cell on every branch of the tree of life expends a hefty chunk of its energy budget — in some cells, more than half — on maintaining a voltage across its membrane.
—Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2026
The places facing existential climate risks—especially those in the Deep South—are mostly in states that have long been considered politically uncompetitive, where neither party expends much effort or money to gain votes.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
China’s apparent surge in missile production comes as the US expends sophisticated defense systems in Ukraine and Israel, causing some ammunition shortages and sparking debate in Washington about how and where to deploy its high-end weapons.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expends
Verb
-
Set a budget The average American spends a whopping $168 per date, according to a 2025 survey from BMO.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
The bitters combine with the hogo to create an entirely new drink, one that’s deeper and richer and honestly weirder, a drink that’s still sunshine-caliber refreshing but whose soul spends half the year in the underworld.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Reducing the need for permanent port fuel infrastructure To support continuous operations, the platform consumes roughly 16,500 to 17,600 pounds of hydrogen per week, stored in modular, ISO-compatible low-pressure containers integrated into the floating structure.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
31 May 2026
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When supply tightens in a state that still consumes tens of millions of gallons a day, prices become more volatile and more expensive.—
Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh,
Oc Register,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Inspired by Portugal’s traditional and contemporary flavors, Baleia also pays respect to the country’s seamen—generations of fishers, sailors and whalers—who traveled the globe and returned with culinary influence, especially from North Africa, China and the Caribbean.—
Jillian Dara,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
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The city has fallen back on multiple tax measures to draw more money, though spending cuts have also alleviated — for now — yearly deficits in the General Purpose Fund budget, which pays for most salaries and daily operations.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
If the search for a large outdoor planter exhausts you—just get a terra-cotta planter.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
6 Apr. 2026
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As the oil blockade quickly exhausts Cuba’s supply of fuel, triggering a series of lengthy, island-wide blackouts, many here are exhausted and are becoming increasingly vocal about their desire for fundamental changes in Cuba.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Overthinking at work drains emotional energy because your brain never fully relaxes.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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The Mighty Mississippi ⛴️ Flowing about 2,350 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf in Louisiana, the Mississippi River borders 10 states and drains an area stretching from western New York to most of Wyoming.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Other minor risks include scrotum congestion (a sense of discomfort or pressure that usually resolves over time) and sperm granuloma (a non-dangerous lump that the body usually absorbs) and pain, the clinic adds.—
Sara Moniuszko,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Taco night can swing from chicken to beans to leftover roasted vegetables and grain bowl night absorbs whatever produce is about to turn.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expends. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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