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
Companion animal euthanasia is a therapeutic intervention to mitigate suffering; when conducted properly, the process spares the subject both fear and pain. — Dr. Jacob Appel, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026 Speaking of the oversized, the collection’s Handloom Cardigan fits the bill but spares you from imitating a balloon, courtesy of those vertical stripes (also known as the oldest optical trick in the fashion book). — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 As engagement-farming social-media accounts like Pop Base and celebrity-gossip accounts such as Deuxmoi still post frequent updates of celebrity sightings and speculation, the type of blanketing gossip press that Hilton introduced now spares no one. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026 The timing spares the Eagles and Carter from the questions and speculation that would have unfolded when training camp opened to the media Wednesday. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 28 July 2026 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 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
Noun
The agreement also includes spares and sustainment support through 2032, extending beyond the initial delivery of the training systems. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026 The yacht also comes with large tank capacities, space for spares and equipment, accessible systems, and a large garage, allowing seafarers to spend more time away from the shore. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2026 Temporary spares are narrower, lighter, and made with less tread than standard tires. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spares
Verb
  • The intact leaf blanket also conserves moisture and prevents soil from drying out over the winter.
    — Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In Boise, a growing number of people have turned to xeriscaping in recent years, which is a type of landscaping that conserves water by using native or drought-tolerant plants, according to previous Statesman reporting.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • While uptight Elinor excels at hiding her feelings for the similarly taciturn Edward, Marianne goes wild (nearly feral, really) when new neighbor Willoughby saves her from physical injury (literally sweeping her off her feet and a wincing ankle).
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
  • These missions are clearly well-intentioned, and every skimmer removed saves families from being deprived of food.
    — Eli Hager, ProPublica, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Diet drinks containing sugar substitutes were found to be as effective as water for supporting weight loss in overweight or obese adults, according to a two-year randomized trial.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Finn Azaz, whose mother has Israeli heritage, was among the Irish substitutes after playing from the start against Austria on Thursday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • However, the order preserves existing sanctions on Russia under earlier executive orders.
    — Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
  • With that temporary order expiring Tuesday, the judge issued a preliminary injunction that preserves the status quo indefinitely while the case is pending.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • For solo diners, phone-free meals, unhurried pacing and intentional atmosphere can become part of the experience rather than optional extras.
    — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Bogen claims it's filled with a lot of extras with the bill footed by taxpayers.
    — Ted Scouten, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Bombas Return Policy Bombas’ Happiness Guarantee covers free returns, exchanges, and replacements—including free shipping.
    — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2026
  • When a code set changes underneath a policy, somebody has to map which of 10 replacements carries the standing the original had, and by default, that is nobody’s job.
    — JP Montoya, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • No other quarterback this season has more than four TD passes without a turnover with backups Drew Lock and Marcus Mariota pulling that off.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The Chargers started four rookies on the offensive line, three of whom are backups.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The acquisition of 100 percent of ZO Skin Health will be made in an all-cash transaction and funded through cash reserves and bank financing.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Deep-sea mining companies are targeting this vast reserves of metal-rich nodules to power the electric vehicle market.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spares. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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