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

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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

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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
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 As for features, Mercedes-Benz spares no expense on its iconic SUV. Charles Singh, USA Today, 4 June 2026
Noun
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 The Fort Worth division of Lockheed Martin was also given a $17 million modification to an existing contract for provisioning spares. Maven Navarro june 1, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 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 Palmeri’s dad, Tony, loved cars from the 1930s, and dual spares weren’t unusual to see on the sides of cars in that era. Eric D. Lawrence, Freep.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spares
Verb
  • The brain further conserves power by relying on highly efficient biological mechanisms that have been refined through millions of years of evolution.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 June 2026
  • Mulching not only conserves water, requiring less frequent watering, but also helps maintain consistent soil temperature, promoting a healthier growing environment for your roses.
    Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • Chapman’s saves streak was the third longest in Red Sox history since saves became an official statistic in 1969.
    Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Snag major saves on Apple, Yeti, Casper and more before the deals disappear for good.
    Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 3 July 2026
Noun
  • On matchdays, the first sittings begin around five hours before kick-off, with the last one taking place around three hours before, usually taken by the substitutes who prefer to eat later.
    Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 29 June 2026
  • Senegal led the way with four goals from substitutes while Switzerland, Germany and Canada each had three goals off the bench.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • Built with vodka, dry vermouth, olive brine, and sparkling wine, the dirty martini spritz preserves the savory backbone of a dirty martini while opening it up with effervescence.
    Joe Sevier, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 July 2026
  • The ultimate responsibility of a leader is to choose not the easiest option, but the one that best preserves the state’s security and core interests.
    Anne Neuberger, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026
Noun
  • Keeping only what supports your current lifestyle makes closets easier to maintain than wrangling the extras.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 July 2026
  • An everything shower is a comprehensive bathing ritual that bundles regular cleansing with extras like exfoliating, shaving, hair masking and scalp treatments into a single session.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2026
Noun
  • In cases of cobalt toxicity linked to hip replacements, the symptoms usually develop over many months, not weeks, as in the woman’s case.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
  • Ukraine's attacks damaged specialized equipment that is often sourced abroad, making repairs time-consuming and expensive as workarounds or replacements are sought by evading sanctions.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Noun
  • Not to lose your messages and media, set up your Signal Backup (Settings -> Backups -> Enable backups -> View recovery key -> Copy to clipboard -> Next -> Enter the recovery key -> Next -> Continue -> Choose your backup plan).
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 29 June 2026
  • Still, the backups for Argentina are probably better than the best players for Jordan.
    David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026
Noun
  • Russia’s fiscal reserves are dwindling, and oil and gas revenues have cratered as many countries rerouted to alternative suppliers.
    Tristan Bove, Fortune, 2 July 2026
  • BlackRock aims to manage the coin's vast reserves, while merchants like Shopify seek lower transaction costs and yield.
    Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Spares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spares. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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