1
as in economical
careful in the management of money or resources
a sparing couple who are trying to save up enough for a house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in careful
giving or sharing as little as possible
a government agency that has always been sparing of public information
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sparse
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
unfortunately, the explanation of the health insurance plan was somewhat sparing on details
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in conserving
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in saving
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sparing
Longreads, 19 Dec. 2024
Mercy for violence, however, remained more sparing.
—New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021
Adjective
But the smile is now more sparing, at least on camera.
—Longreads, 19 Dec. 2024
Mercy for violence, however, remained more sparing.
—New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sparing
Adjective
-
The rice paper bakes up crispy, the ingredients are fairly economical and for those on gluten-free diets, there’s no worries about cross-contamination with flour.—
Gretchen McKay,
Twin Cities,
7 Aug. 2025
-
As saccharine salsa romántica became a pop phenomenon, Palmieri skewed toward economical composition and sonic bombardment, his penchant for trombone-heavy setups sparking a movement of its own within salsa.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Be careful not to break the stems on flowers like cosmos or coneflowers because a bent stem won't provide water to the bloom.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Be careful to navigate around these components and move slowly when cutting anything with a mix of hard and soft textures, Rade Vukmir, MD, professor of clinical emergency medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine, tells SELF.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
While Uber lists Bardstown as a partner city, available drivers are sparse, so plan ahead for alternative transportation.—
Karla Walsh,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Aug. 2025
-
More like a battery than a full-scale reactor, RPS devices attach directly to spacecraft to power them into the deepest, darkest reaches of the solar system, where sunlight is too sparse to use.—
Hannah Richter,
Scientific American,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In 1980, voters overwhelmingly chose Reagan’s sunny optimism over Carter’s gloomy warnings about cutting back and conserving.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
30 Dec. 2024
-
Addressing these inefficiencies through sustainable practices, energy-efficient technologies, energy audits and waste-to-energy solutions is crucial to reducing the global carbon footprint, conserving resources, and mitigating the adverse effects of climate change.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Read More: The Real Danger of the Trump-Putin Summit At the press conference, Putin talked about how close Russia was to America (shades of Sarah Palin) and claimed that Russian trade with American has increased by 20%.—
Richard Stengel,
Time,
16 Aug. 2025
-
For most of the year, the Mets were close with the Philadelphia Phillies at the top of the division.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Aid trucks stopped coming and ingredients that had once been scarce became almost impossible to find.—
Hamada Shaqoura,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
-
That's key in a country where good-paying jobs are scarce.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
A day—or week—of being surrounded by flowering, textural plants while doing good for the future by preserving the past provides lasting benefits and more fragrant spaces for all.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
12 Apr. 2025
-
Show Them Some Love Regular maintenance, including cleaning, is key for preserving your collection.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Your 5-year-old son will find the box full of Sharpies and decide to redecorate your spare bedroom, an hour before your in-laws arrive for a week’s visit.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
13 Aug. 2025
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So often, as for the opener in the Champions League final, one of PSG’s full-backs becomes the spare, untracked player in the box.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sparing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sparing. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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