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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
-
The mother spends her waking hours working on other people’s farms and performing tasks the neighbors prefer not to do themselves.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
My daughter calls me a creative engineer, someone who spends her life creatively thinking about ways to provide live experiences that offer joy and beauty, or maybe more importantly, that challenge us to see things differently.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
After all, Mother is inhuman and consumes brain fluid, hinting at a parasitic nature.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
America consumes too much and saves too little.—
Neil Shearing,
Time,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The developer later trimmed the number of homes to 99 and agreed that no building permits will be issued until American Homes 4 Rent pays for and installs a traffic light at nearby Faith and Shearer roads.—
Joe Marusak
May 27,
Charlotte Observer,
27 May 2026
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The stadium is being built to make Sacramento a turnkey market for promotion out of the USL, which plays in smaller stadiums of roughly 10,000 fans across the country and pays players a fraction of MLS payrolls.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
27 May 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
-
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
-
Make sure the soil at the planting site drains within one hour following heavy rain, as peach trees do not tolerate soggy soil.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
30 May 2026
-
Field observations noted that a manhole at the location was spilling into an area roughly 100 feet by 10 feet, with runoff entering a stream that drains into the tributary.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
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 31 May. 2026.
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