1
as in preserved
to use or give out in stingy amounts
I'll have a banana split—and don't spare the whipped cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in saved
to avoid unnecessary waste or expense
she had grown up during the Great Depression, so she was no stranger to sparing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of spared
In terms of the other remaining survivors, Jules and Nell have been spared, despite their plans to divorce, presumably because Jules has come to believe that his wife is his true soulmate.
—
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Acreage needs could have spared most homes.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Russian forces launched a drone attack in broad daylight Tuesday on the center of Lviv, a historic city in western Ukraine that had been spared much of the fighting that has devastated other parts of the country.
—Jane Lytvynenko, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
The kosher wine business may have been spared some of the worst of the downturn in part because its consumers are still catching up to trends that reshaped the broader market years ago.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
So far, South Florida airports have been spared the worst.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
There was a general sense among the public that the outbreak had died down and that the broader community had been spared.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
North Texas hasn’t been spared.
—William Tong, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
While Israel attacked gas facilities in southern Iran on the second day of the 12-day war in June 2025, oil and gas infrastructure was largely spared during that earlier conflict.
—Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Acreage needs could have spared most homes.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Russian forces launched a drone attack in broad daylight Tuesday on the center of Lviv, a historic city in western Ukraine that had been spared much of the fighting that has devastated other parts of the country.
—Jane Lytvynenko, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
The kosher wine business may have been spared some of the worst of the downturn in part because its consumers are still catching up to trends that reshaped the broader market years ago.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
So far, South Florida airports have been spared the worst.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
There was a general sense among the public that the outbreak had died down and that the broader community had been spared.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
North Texas hasn’t been spared.
—William Tong, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
While Israel attacked gas facilities in southern Iran on the second day of the 12-day war in June 2025, oil and gas infrastructure was largely spared during that earlier conflict.
—Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spared
Verb
-
The mound of snow being preserved at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center spans approximately 15,000 square feet.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The good bits have all been preserved.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In another area, a mother and daughter, white with black spots, were saved from being hoarded and getting killed for meat.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
According to the Northwestern Mutual survey, nearly three-quarters of Gen Z already have saved more than one year of income toward retirement.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And while mice are not humans, the biology the team has identified is highly conserved across animals, Naik explains, and this suggests the finding may have some applicability to humans.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Hundreds of thousands of acres, including many former rice plantations, have been conserved in the area between Beaufort and Charleston, and marshes there stretch out like coastal prairies.—
Thad Moore,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spared. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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