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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spared
Khartoum has largely been spared attacks by the RSF since it was recaptured by the Sudanese Armed Forces last year, but the capital has recently seen sporadic strikes.
—
ABC News, 3 May 2026
Astros starter Mike Burrows didn’t pitch a clean inning until his sixth and final frame, but was spared damage nearly every time by a Red Sox offense that continues to struggle to convert baserunners into runs.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
Lego has spared no expense in conveying the N-1's detail.
—Chris McMullen, Space.com, 2 May 2026
Drivers in other states haven't been spared, either.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 1 May 2026
No detail was spared with Louis Vuitton tableware decorating every dining experience from lunches to dinners.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 1 May 2026
Ewduin Perez says a last-minute decision to leave his trailer and shelter with Connie and Jesse Gonzales spared him from an EF2 tornado that tore through their neighborhood – a storm that also killed a nearby neighbor.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Parks maintenance workers — once considered for layoffs — were also spared, according to the city’s news release.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
America has mostly been spared from the tumult.
—Ben Casselman Qilai Shen Lisa Lerer William J. Burns, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 3 May 2026
Astros starter Mike Burrows didn’t pitch a clean inning until his sixth and final frame, but was spared damage nearly every time by a Red Sox offense that continues to struggle to convert baserunners into runs.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
Lego has spared no expense in conveying the N-1's detail.
—Chris McMullen, Space.com, 2 May 2026
Drivers in other states haven't been spared, either.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 1 May 2026
No detail was spared with Louis Vuitton tableware decorating every dining experience from lunches to dinners.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 1 May 2026
Ewduin Perez says a last-minute decision to leave his trailer and shelter with Connie and Jesse Gonzales spared him from an EF2 tornado that tore through their neighborhood – a storm that also killed a nearby neighbor.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Parks maintenance workers — once considered for layoffs — were also spared, according to the city’s news release.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
America has mostly been spared from the tumult.
—Ben Casselman Qilai Shen Lisa Lerer William J. Burns, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spared
Verb
-
City Council members criticized the proposal this week, calling the festival a key part of San Diego’s civic fabric that should be preserved if at all possible.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Audiences can rest assured that the emotional core that secured the play’s spot in the theater canon will be preserved no matter what changes are made.—
Malia Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The fjord bends, combined with the ship being far enough away and in deep water, were key factors that saved them.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
-
Joe Kilsheimer, a former Sentinel reporter who later served as mayor of Apopka and president of the Friends of Lake Apopka, said Thomas believed even during the lake’s bleakest times that it could be saved.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
As part of conservation efforts in the 1980s and 90s, more than 800 otters were released in Missouri and waterways were conserved.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Some myosin classes, such as I and II, are widely conserved across many organisms, whereas others are more specialized and restricted to particular lineages—for example, certain classes are found mainly in animals and others in plants.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spared. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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