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
as in saves
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
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
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026
But lightning races through the body in milliseconds, and therefore often spares it.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
This version spares us a lot of extreme sexist posturing on both sides.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
The quiet zone designation, which went into effect Thursday, spares residents from hearing train horns ahead of each crossing between Douglas Street in Hammond and Fisher Street in Munster.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Washington arrives in Tulsa with orders to kill Manfredi, but instead spares his life.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
That, in turn, spares those jurisdictions from going through the more cumbersome process of auctioning off the vehicles, backers of the bill said.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Hammer spares no hard truths and offers no pat feelings with regard to how these people are bound to end up and what dementia ultimately does to them.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Feb. 2026
Its small population of 280,000, however, spares it from being a prime target for large-scale drug trafficking.
—CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Eric D. Lawrence, Freep.com, 3 Mar. 2026
That means having standard spares available and maintenance procedures drawn up and tested.
—New Atlas, 17 Jan. 2026
Precision is necessary to pick up spares.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
The deal valued at approximately $450 million including spares, support, logistics, and training.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Nov. 2025
Keeping a physical key, and a few spares, handy is always a good idea.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025
Probably requires at least splash resistant hands (or a whole bunch of spares).
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 Nov. 2025
Furthermore, all items containing lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries, along with spares or uninstalled batteries, belong in carry-on baggage, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
—Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Sep. 2025
Something around the house is always in need of new batteries, and the junk drawer can be a good place to keep the spares.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
And Sokolov spares no blood rig throughout the film, with red spraying out of every wound, and some creative viscera that tests the limits of its characters’ invincibility.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026
But lightning races through the body in milliseconds, and therefore often spares it.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
This version spares us a lot of extreme sexist posturing on both sides.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
The quiet zone designation, which went into effect Thursday, spares residents from hearing train horns ahead of each crossing between Douglas Street in Hammond and Fisher Street in Munster.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Washington arrives in Tulsa with orders to kill Manfredi, but instead spares his life.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
That, in turn, spares those jurisdictions from going through the more cumbersome process of auctioning off the vehicles, backers of the bill said.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Hammer spares no hard truths and offers no pat feelings with regard to how these people are bound to end up and what dementia ultimately does to them.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Feb. 2026
Its small population of 280,000, however, spares it from being a prime target for large-scale drug trafficking.
—CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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
That means having standard spares available and maintenance procedures drawn up and tested.
—New Atlas, 17 Jan. 2026
Precision is necessary to pick up spares.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
The deal valued at approximately $450 million including spares, support, logistics, and training.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Nov. 2025
Keeping a physical key, and a few spares, handy is always a good idea.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025
Probably requires at least splash resistant hands (or a whole bunch of spares).
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 Nov. 2025
Furthermore, all items containing lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries, along with spares or uninstalled batteries, belong in carry-on baggage, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
—Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Sep. 2025
Something around the house is always in need of new batteries, and the junk drawer can be a good place to keep the spares.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spares
Verb
-
Regular descaling helps prevent costly repairs, extends the lifespan of your washing machine, and conserves energy.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The lab is one of the oldest continuously operating facilities that conserves underwater artifacts from sites like shipwrecks, according to its website.—
Jarrod Wardwell,
Houston Chronicle,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sorokin was locked in from the drop of the puck, denying Colin Blackwell on a shorthanded breakaway 10 minutes in and making a handful of other 10-bell saves on quality scoring chances in the first period alone.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Sorokin was locked in from the drop of the puck, denying Colin Blackwell on a shorthanded breakaway 10 minutes in and making a handful of other 10-bell saves on quality scoring chances in the first period alone.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ohio has seen fewer deaths but more risky behavior lately as fentanyl supplies dry up and people turn to substitutes tainted by animal tranquilizers.—
Kaitlin Coward,
Boston Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Material World is a weekly roundup of innovations and ideas within the materials sector, covering what’s changing in how fashion is made, scaled or engineered from emerging biomaterials and alternative leathers to sustainable substitutes and future-proof fibers.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If authority demands alterations to your plans at the last minute, suggest a practical adjustment that preserves quality, because enduring leadership earns trust without drama.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The Pentagon Press Association, which includes CBS News and Associated Press reporters, said the Pentagon's interim policy preserves provisions that Friedman deemed to be unconstitutional while also adding new restrictions on credential holders.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Plus, it's known for its customer service and extras, like free credit counseling.—
Kelsey Neubauer,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Universal Studios Hollywood visitors will be cast as extras in a monster movie that goes off the rails when a villainous character known as The Phantom Director unleashes Universal Monsters such as Frankenstein, Dracula and the Wolf Man during the park’s Universal Fan Fest Nights.—
Jeffrey Miller,
Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In 2012, the NFL was caught off guard, forced to pluck unqualified replacements, some of whom were fanboys of specific teams and another of whom was a competitor in the World Series of Poker.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Gash and Brin, who are Highland Park residents, disclosed their decisions not to seek reelection to lead their parties on Wednesday, giving the respective precinct committeepersons time to evaluate potential replacements before their April conventions.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As a result, the roads bordering the Statehouse — North Capitol Avenue, West Street, Washington Street and Ohio Street — will likely see more backups than usual.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The quartet along with their backups, NASA astronaut Andre Douglas and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jenni Gibbons, have been in quarantine since March 18.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Anavitarte says the city dipped into cash reserves to launch its in-house sanitation service.—
Monique John,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The groups also cautioned that the proposal could allow mining in areas with varying levels of environmental protection — such as biosphere reserves and forest reserves — that are not explicitly excluded, increasing pressure on fragile ecosystems in the Amazon basin.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spares. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
