1
as in to scant
to use or give out in stingy amounts
I'll have a banana split—and don't spare the whipped cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to save
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
1
as in extra
being over what is needed
I had some spare time to kill, so I cleaned up my cubicle a bit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in careful
giving or sharing as little as possible
a man who is kind and gentle but definitely spare of speech
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3
as in thin
having a noticeably small amount of body fat
a tall, spare man
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4
as in scarce
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
spare vegetation that made foraging very difficult
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as in backup
an interchangeable part or piece of equipment that is kept on hand for replacement of an original
we promptly replaced the burnt-out lightbulb with a spare
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spare
Viet Thanh Nguyễn, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
In February, for example, the Department of Justice dropped a discrimination case against Musk’s SpaceX, sparing it up to $46 million in civil penalties, according to the congressional report.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2025
Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 2025
The dogs are currently at the Weber County Animal Shelter in kennels and spare rooms, separate from the other animals in order to prevent the spread of possible diseases, Weber County Animal Services said in a statement.
—Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Ars Technica, 23 Jan. 2025
That the services will occur on Mr. Biden’s watch during his final days in office spares at least some awkward moments and decisions, since he and not Mr. Trump will be the sitting president at the time of the service.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spare
Verb
Each hopes to be spared by the figurative firing squad, but predictably, none will be.
—Viet Thanh Nguyễn, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
In February, for example, the Department of Justice dropped a discrimination case against Musk’s SpaceX, sparing it up to $46 million in civil penalties, according to the congressional report.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
To do this, a small team at the automaker’s Weissach development center outfitted the Martini silver vehicle with rudimentary exhaust mufflers, additional mirrors, side indicators, a horn, and even a spare wheel hidden away beneath the rear clamshell.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 2025
The dogs are currently at the Weber County Animal Shelter in kennels and spare rooms, separate from the other animals in order to prevent the spread of possible diseases, Weber County Animal Services said in a statement.
—Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
But there will be a couple of spares in the paddock in case a team (or two) experiences a failure, according to Formula E's head of championship, Pablo Martino.
—Ars Technica, 23 Jan. 2025
That the services will occur on Mr. Biden’s watch during his final days in office spares at least some awkward moments and decisions, since he and not Mr. Trump will be the sitting president at the time of the service.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spare
Verb
-
By scanting this complexity, Remnick leaves readers with a less than totally satisfying depiction of Obama's encounter with the world of black Chicago.—
Walter Russell Mead,
Foreign Affairs,
1 July 2010
-
Trump captured attention his first time around, in part, by talking about issues that other candidates scanted: the threat of China, chaos at the southern border.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
22 Dec. 2023
Verb
-
Bobby manages to save Chimney, who falls ill and starts coughing up blood while responding to the lab blaze.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Governments couldn’t borrow money at home or abroad to save the banks or to meet their debt obligations, much less to spend their way out of the recession.—
JAVIER CORRALES,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The new tiers could add extra features to this list or even remove some of them.—
Paul Monckton,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
The wooden frame and metal bracket legs provide stability, while tall arms and reversible cushions surround you for extra comfort and support.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That makes careful construction of games to maximize engagement vital, said Nate Jones, vice president of corporate strategy and development for Sony Interactive Entertainment, the PlayStation unit of Sony.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
-
Wild first 20 minutes Most of this series has seen each team playing a very careful brand of hockey, feeling each other out in the first period, with few shots on goal and even fewer legitimate scoring opportunities.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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The weakness of the Flash 22 is the shoulder straps, which are quite thin.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
1 May 2025
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And those guesses rely on default templates drawn from overrepresented groups in media and training data: cisgender, white, able-bodied, thin.—
Diana Spehar,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
On the other hand, a practice of resource assessment and sharing, even when resources are scarce, would operate from an abundance mindset.—
Eric Crosby,
Artforum,
1 May 2025
-
In this tale, human detective Elijah Baley is drafted to solve the murder of a human on Solaria, an Outer Planet where humans are scarce and never mix with their peers.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Depth-chart impact Sanders will likely begin as a rotational defensive tackle within their scheme and the primary backup to 33-year-old starter DaQuan Jones.—
Joe Buscaglia,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Hayes was a backup before the Lakers sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks as part of the trade for Doncic, and Davis’ departure shouldn’t have changed that.—
Dylan Hernández,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Similarly, a home that conserves water and reduces waste is considered sustainable.—
Kristine Gill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Apr. 2025
-
The fact that most of their plants are drought tolerant and their dry swale retains a moist environment after catching the rain means another way to save and conserve water.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spare. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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