spares 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of spare
1
as in conserves
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

spares

2 of 2

noun

plural of spare
as in substitutes
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spares
Verb
Senior dogs with arthritis or chronic pain also benefit because mobile service spares them the physical strain of travel. Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026 The move spares Rodriguez a punishing cut to 145 but drops him into the sport's deepest, most wrestling-heavy division. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 The outcome spares officials the headache of changing their ballot rules just a few months before the 2026 midterm congressional elections. Mark Sherman, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026 That move largely spares local governments budgetary hits that nonpartisan legislative analysts pegged between $2 billion to $3 billion annually. Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026 The taxpayers association refused, instead striking a deal with lawmakers to place an amendment on the ballot that raises the threshold for special taxes to two-thirds voter approval but spares existing taxes such as Measure ULA. Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 The exclusive course, which is financially supported by oligarch Oleg Deripaska, a Putin associate, spares no expense. Nikita Ostrovsky, Time, 18 June 2026 Selectivity also spares defendants and victims from the prolonged uncertainty of a lingering case. Rebecca Dunlea, The Conversation, 17 June 2026 Given this is one of the lower profile group stage matches taking place in Miami, with the headliners being Colombia-Portugal and Brazil-Scotland, an attendance of over 62,000 is somewhat impressive and spares FIFA’s blushes in the context of how many empty seats there were in the first half. Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Noun
The contract will procure spares for F-35 fighter jets and will deploy spare packages to the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, F-35 program partners and foreign military customers. Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 July 2026 Stroll subsequently couldn’t participate in FP2 as the team did not have enough time to repair the damage and had to fly more spares out to Hungary from its UK factory. Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 25 July 2026 Previously, another wrist joint was replaced and both of the arm's end effectors were swapped out for spares. Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 30 June 2026 This doesn't see three Li-ion battery packs all connected at once for long-range riding, but rather provides a downtube pack plus two spares in a cage hanging from the rear rack. Paul Ridden june 23, New Atlas, 23 June 2026 One good test would be to create a national Navy Battle Depot, directing the new PAEs to immediately procure and maintain a full ship set of spares for every major type and variant of vessel in service today, using advanced manufacturing (additive manufacturing and 3D printing) where possible. Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026 And since no one expires from, say, cancer or other now-curable diseases, and bones and organs can be replaced like car parts with artificial spares, people only pass when involved in freak accidents…or take their own lives. Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026 White House officials defended the arrangement, arguing that donor anonymity is standard practice for major projects and that using private funds spares taxpayers. Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 22 Apr. 2026 The contract covers full-rate production engines, initial spares, modules, engineering resources, program oversight and dedicated production support services, according to a release from RTX. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spares
Verb
  • As a bonus, the gravel acts as a mulch and conserves moisture in your pots.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 July 2026
  • This efficiency not only conserves limited resources but also builds community trust by minimizing unnecessary interactions.
    Charles "Chuck" Broadway, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • The lyrics may be sparse with fashion references, but Charli saves plenty of room for clothes in the 42-minute companion film released alongside the album.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 31 July 2026
  • The show followed Buffy Summers, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, as a high school student who also saves the world from vampires and demons.
    Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 31 July 2026
Noun
  • Dividends and buybacks may be appropriate, but the exchange has made clear that companies should not treat one-time distributions as substitutes for sustained operational improvement.
    Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • In 2021, the Premier League introduced concussion substitutes, allowing teams to replace a concussed player during a match, and that not counting towards the substitution limit.
    Leon Imber, New York Times, 26 July 2026
Verb
  • Scholars have noted that literature preserves experiences often missing from official accounts of the time.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
  • And in that sense, a rail line sort of preserves its own utility.
    Laurie Winkless, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Noun
  • The transfer here is as exquisite as any of Warner Archive’s releases, and there are some juicy extras for Crawford fans in the form of original radio broadcasts featuring the star (there’s also a documentary on MGM executive Irving Thalberg).
    Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 28 July 2026
  • Certain suites come with even more extras, like private airport pickup from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), poolside cabana access, and a daily complimentary refresh of the mini bar.
    Mae Hamilton, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2026
Noun
  • Months of haggling for replacements brought more frustration until July.
    Larry Seward, CBS News, 30 July 2026
  • Their replacements had concerns over the use of surveillance cameras and opposed laws that barred repeat public drug users from certain areas in the city.
    Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Noun
  • Lots of QBs do throw the ball well in those kinds of situations, including Carolina’s backups on Wednesday.
    Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
  • These packages are good for keeping backups around or getting multiple people in on the search.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 27 July 2026
Noun
  • The reserves were drawn down over 50% during the Biden administration, to manage the fallout from spiking gasoline prices in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
    George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Nigerian energy retailers called for the state to create local strategic reserves of petrol and other fuels to buffer from supply shocks in the global oil market.
    Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 31 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spares. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on spares

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!