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
Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
Where many of Krishna’s battles end in death for the aggressor, this story is remarkable for its mercy—Krishna spares Kaliya after the snake’s wives and children emerge from the pond to plead on his behalf.
—Seamus Sullivan
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
This night light spares no features.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 18 Sep. 2025
Welcome to eclipse season, where the cosmos spares no one and nothing stays the same.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
To solve this problem, materials scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have concocted a new sunscreen recipe that spares the ocean’s vital microorganisms.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Sep. 2025
The ruling spares Trump from a potential half-billion-dollar fine but bans him and his two eldest sons from serving in corporate leadership for a few years.
—Jennifer Peltz, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
The ruling spares Trump from a potential half-billion-dollar fine but bans him and his two eldest sons from serving in corporate leadership for a few years.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2025
This makes the kids friendlier and spares mom’s udders a lot of wear-and-tear.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
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
The Dutch driver likely purchased the car at its full price of approximately $475,000, along with an additional set of wheels and a package of spares.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Grey estimated that spares of the crucial modules might add another 10 percent to the space station’s cost.
—Trudy E. Bell, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Jan. 2016
Verb
Add an eye-catching swivel chair to your den, get organized with entryway benches and office shelving, or get your dining room ready for dinner parties with a wood table that spares room for guests.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
Where many of Krishna’s battles end in death for the aggressor, this story is remarkable for its mercy—Krishna spares Kaliya after the snake’s wives and children emerge from the pond to plead on his behalf.
—Seamus Sullivan
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
This night light spares no features.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 18 Sep. 2025
Welcome to eclipse season, where the cosmos spares no one and nothing stays the same.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
To solve this problem, materials scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have concocted a new sunscreen recipe that spares the ocean’s vital microorganisms.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Sep. 2025
The ruling spares Trump from a potential half-billion-dollar fine but bans him and his two eldest sons from serving in corporate leadership for a few years.
—Jennifer Peltz, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
The ruling spares Trump from a potential half-billion-dollar fine but bans him and his two eldest sons from serving in corporate leadership for a few years.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2025
This makes the kids friendlier and spares mom’s udders a lot of wear-and-tear.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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
The Dutch driver likely purchased the car at its full price of approximately $475,000, along with an additional set of wheels and a package of spares.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Grey estimated that spares of the crucial modules might add another 10 percent to the space station’s cost.
—Trudy E. Bell, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Jan. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spares
Verb
-
The resort runs on 100% green power, has reduced its carbon footprint by 46%, and conserves millions of liters of water annually through advanced recycling and reduction measures.—
Ashlee Marie Preston,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Independent analysis by the World Wildlife Fund shows that saving one million pounds of fruit conserves 320 billion gallons of water and avoids 169,000 metric tons of carbon emissions.—
Ivanka Trump,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Coming prepared with a small, compact first aid kit can prevent a minor issue from turning into a major hassle; these essentials don't take up much room, and having them on hand saves you from scrambling to find a pharmacy in an unfamiliar place.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The bank has built its own meeting transcription and summarization tool which Elliott says saves hours of grunt work.—
Harry Booth,
Time,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But Sentnor was pleased with the patience the group of starters showed, noting the importance of the energy the substitutes brought to the game.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
-
But Moyes will be pleased by the impact made by his substitutes against Palace, Alcaraz chief among them.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Another nearby point of interest for history buffs is Historic Blenheim and Civil War Interpretive Center, a Greek Revival-style house dating to 1859 that preserves signatures and pictographs from Federal soldiers who once lived there.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Clothing manufacturers no longer must choose between using a softener that is durable but negatively impacts cotton’s natural absorbency or one that preserves the fiber’s ability to hold moisture but also washes off through home laundering.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for extras and insider scoops on Detroit-area dining.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Swift promises 12 songs and no secret extras; the credits say the trio connected in Sweden, sometimes as a skeleton crew but often fleshed out by local musicians.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
One such provision was set to eliminate replacements on property taxes for all political subdivisions, a measure that critics say would cut funding to essential public services such as schools and emergency services.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Madagascar’s prime minister and cabinet ministers will operate on an interim basis until replacements are found.—
Paige Bruton,
semafor.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
If that's not an option, copy backups from your external drive or cloud storage onto the new computer.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
That’s because so many of them are backups who practiced alongside Jones and the second-team offense throughout the summer.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Instead, agriculture accounts for nearly 90% of water usage, including withdrawing non-renewable water reserves.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
-
As Riofrancos notes, approximately 69 percent of transition minerals—and a whopping 85 percent of lithium reserves—are in or near Indigenous or poor communities across the globe, rendering these groups disproportionately vulnerable to water contamination, displacement, and economic insecurity.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spares. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share