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
Although Orlando was spared the worst of the hurricane, the storm provided city leaders with a new perspective in planning the city’s growth.
—
Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2026
But over the last week, the UAE has been spared Iranian projectiles, while Kuwait and Bahrain have been hit.
—Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 13 June 2026
The damage is not evenly distributed, but no region has been spared.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 June 2026
Mental health crisis teams spared Lawmakers also pushed back on a deeply unpopular move Newsom made to roll back state funding for mental health crisis response teams counties have built up in recent years.
—Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
California’s largest cities have been spared major destructive temblors over the last quarter century.
—Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Spielberg spared no expense when casting Richard Attenborough in the iconic role of Jurassic Park's magnanimous founder, John Hammond.
—Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026
Some took place in dormitories on campus, examining quiet moments between friends or lovers—even these inward-looking stories weren’t spared bloodshed that year.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Sidon, the largest city in southern Lebanon, had largely been spared from the Israeli strikes that have pummelled much of the country's south and east.
—Frank Andrews, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2026
But over the last week, the UAE has been spared Iranian projectiles, while Kuwait and Bahrain have been hit.
—Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 13 June 2026
The damage is not evenly distributed, but no region has been spared.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 June 2026
Mental health crisis teams spared Lawmakers also pushed back on a deeply unpopular move Newsom made to roll back state funding for mental health crisis response teams counties have built up in recent years.
—Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
California’s largest cities have been spared major destructive temblors over the last quarter century.
—Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Spielberg spared no expense when casting Richard Attenborough in the iconic role of Jurassic Park's magnanimous founder, John Hammond.
—Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026
Some took place in dormitories on campus, examining quiet moments between friends or lovers—even these inward-looking stories weren’t spared bloodshed that year.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Sidon, the largest city in southern Lebanon, had largely been spared from the Israeli strikes that have pummelled much of the country's south and east.
—Frank Andrews, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spared
Verb
-
Inside, beautiful details preserved and improved across generations tell a unique story.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
11 Dec. 2025
-
Sternke’s fan obsession grew out of childhood trips to East German castles, where historical outfits were perfectly preserved.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The 1961 legislation establishing the Seashore saved the land from development and gave the public a pristine example of what the popular peninsula looked like before the Pilgrims arrived in Provincetown and before the birth of the nation.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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For many years, Spielberg had planned a film adaptation of Thomas Kenneally’s 1982 historical novel, Schindler’s Ark, about a German businessman who saved hundreds of Jews from the Holocaust by keeping them working in his factories.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The stonework has been conserved, and historic interiors have been recreated using period-appropriate materials, textures, and colors.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
-
In this context, males with the longest sperm-delivering palp are most likely to succeed with insemination, and that lengthy trait appears valuable, as it's been conserved across all species to varying degrees.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spared. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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