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
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Recent Examples of expends
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
When the workload is greater than usual, your body temporarily expends more energy to fuel the digestive process, both in breaking down macronutrients and in absorbing that fuel for use later.
—Bryn Beeder, The Conversation, 17 Nov. 2025
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
Meteorologists said Erin would likely fluctuate in strength throughout the week as the storm draws strength from warm ocean waters, then expends energy through enormous wind and waves.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 17 Aug. 2025
The first machine to solve the puzzle secures the next block of transactions and earns a Bitcoin reward, while every competing rig still expends the same electricity.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2025
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
When the workload is greater than usual, your body temporarily expends more energy to fuel the digestive process, both in breaking down macronutrients and in absorbing that fuel for use later.
—Bryn Beeder, The Conversation, 17 Nov. 2025
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
Meteorologists said Erin would likely fluctuate in strength throughout the week as the storm draws strength from warm ocean waters, then expends energy through enormous wind and waves.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 17 Aug. 2025
The first machine to solve the puzzle secures the next block of transactions and earns a Bitcoin reward, while every competing rig still expends the same electricity.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expends
Verb
-
All the Little Animals is a small movie about a young man (Bale) with brain damage suffered in a car accident who comes across a gentle older man (John Hurt) who spends his days burying animals killed on the side of the road.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The user, in turn, spends more time with the chatbot in a bubble.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The way a market consumes goods matters, too.—
Mark Dee
March 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Each Iranian attack consumes more expensive air defense interceptors, demand for which has spiked worldwide thanks in part to Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, of which Moscow's nightly drone and missile attacks are a key element.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Often referred to as the state’s chief fiscal officer, the state comptroller pays the state’s bills, monitors fiscal compliance, records transactions and contracts and issues reports that guide the governor and legislature on budget decisions.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
-
In Florida, a defendant usually pays 10% of the total bond amount to a bondsman to bail out of jail.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Board member Nicole Gribstad also urged the committee to include an option that delays such a decision and exhausts all other financial alternatives before closing schools.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
But freedom of expression is a constant pursuit, as natural as breathing, and silencing it is an imperfect practice that exhausts the oppressor and energizes the oppressed.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Pack drains a 3 and is up to 19 points, and Texas is on the verge of tumbling to the 10th seed in the SEC Tournament and back onto the NCAA bubble.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Choose a commercial seed-starting mix that is loose and drains well.—
Holly McNamara,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On the other hand, water absorbs slowly into clay soil.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
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The findings come as a new UNESCO report warns of major gaps in understanding how much carbon the ocean absorbs.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expends. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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