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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spared
He could have easily been killed but, according to family lore, the horses spared his life.
—
Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Our parents would have been so grateful if vaccines could have spared us.
—Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Bird’s no vote and absence may have spared her attack ads from Evans.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
The winds spared the shopping district located at Howard and Lexington streets.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026
Spills, crumbs, and grease from splattering casseroles and bubbling pies can make a mess of your oven, and the oven racks aren’t spared from the turmoil.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
Lviv, a city of more than seven hundred thousand people, situated some forty-five miles east of the border with Poland, has been spared the worst of it.
—Michael Holtz, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Unlike catalytic converters, a criminal doesn’t have to lift the vehicle to do the job, and sedans and compacts are spared no more than lifted pickups and SUVs.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 5 Feb. 2026
Had deputies stepped in to stop the killings before Cruz ever made his way upstairs, Jaime’s life may have been spared, the Guttenbergs said.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Our parents would have been so grateful if vaccines could have spared us.
—Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Bird’s no vote and absence may have spared her attack ads from Evans.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
The winds spared the shopping district located at Howard and Lexington streets.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026
Spills, crumbs, and grease from splattering casseroles and bubbling pies can make a mess of your oven, and the oven racks aren’t spared from the turmoil.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
Lviv, a city of more than seven hundred thousand people, situated some forty-five miles east of the border with Poland, has been spared the worst of it.
—Michael Holtz, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Unlike catalytic converters, a criminal doesn’t have to lift the vehicle to do the job, and sedans and compacts are spared no more than lifted pickups and SUVs.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 5 Feb. 2026
Had deputies stepped in to stop the killings before Cruz ever made his way upstairs, Jaime’s life may have been spared, the Guttenbergs said.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spared
Verb
-
The move is meant to symbolize a shift away from the era’s repressive stance, though some critics argue the site should be preserved as a memory space for victims rather than repurposed commercially.—
Alessandra Freitas,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The former film, from Joshua Seftel, follows CBS correspondent Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp on an essay project into the bedrooms of kids gunned down in school shootings, their private worlds heartbreakingly preserved by their families.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In Sonic 3’s credits, Sonic is being chased by an army of Metal Sonics, only to be suddenly saved by Rose.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Van Haalen saved the child with the help of firefighters Ben Wafful and Marco Matias, who both received life-saving awards at the ceremony.—
Kyle Werner,
Des Moines Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Comprehensive plans guide where homes are built, how infrastructure is funded, how flood risks are managed, and which lands are conserved for agriculture, water supply and wildlife.—
Haley Busch,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The eastern shoreline of Tuckertown Reservoir, totaling 2,420 acres and 31 miles of shoreline, was purchased and conserved in 2021.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spared. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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