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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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 sparing
Longreads, 19 Dec. 2024
Mercy for violence, however, remained more sparing.
—New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021
New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2025
Lawmakers will be on their annual autumn recess, sparing the government an awkward decision.
—Jill Lawless, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Lawrence is sparing in his style, the image desaturated like a vintage photograph, locating this fable in an unspecified future and past.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
The atmosphere also helped play a role in the rapid demise of Hurricane Lorena off the Mexico coast, sparing that region a direct landfall.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Season 1 ended January 12 with cartel boss Gallino (Garcia) sparing Tommy Norris (Thornton) from a torturous end.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
Randall-Pizarro’s lawyer, Margaret Olsen of the Legal Aid Society, wanted the judge to use that earlier test to get the 18-year-old committed in the hopes of sparing her a stay in the troubled city jail complex.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
Tested in pigs, the technique boosted signals to the lungs while sparing the throat, reducing unwanted effects without sacrificing therapeutic impact.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2025
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
Verb
The researchers tested their two-part drug on mice and zebrafish engineered to produce β-glucuronidase, and found that the drug was activated almost exclusively in tumors, sparing healthy tissue and organs.
—New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2025
Lawmakers will be on their annual autumn recess, sparing the government an awkward decision.
—Jill Lawless, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Lawrence is sparing in his style, the image desaturated like a vintage photograph, locating this fable in an unspecified future and past.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
The atmosphere also helped play a role in the rapid demise of Hurricane Lorena off the Mexico coast, sparing that region a direct landfall.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Season 1 ended January 12 with cartel boss Gallino (Garcia) sparing Tommy Norris (Thornton) from a torturous end.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
Randall-Pizarro’s lawyer, Margaret Olsen of the Legal Aid Society, wanted the judge to use that earlier test to get the 18-year-old committed in the hopes of sparing her a stay in the troubled city jail complex.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
Tested in pigs, the technique boosted signals to the lungs while sparing the throat, reducing unwanted effects without sacrificing therapeutic impact.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sparing
Adjective
-
Clarify how equity-centric design enables the organization to collectively go the distance regardless of environment, economical and legislative shifts and obstacles.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The latter is much more economical than the full box, of course, yet includes virtually all of the copious music (if none of the trinkets), save for a couple of tracks that appear to be exclusive to vinyl.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But Eliasen is careful not to let scope creep derail initial implementations.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Model Drift and Fraud Patterns Require Human Feedback In fraud detection, patterns evolve quickly and data remains sparse.—
Christer Holloman,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The floors will be reclaimed plastic and concrete, and the equipment in the hospital will be sparse, as there are no monitors available, Hawash-Kuemmerle said.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
By extending sensor reach while conserving power, technologies like Wi-Fi HaLow can help broaden access to real-time environmental data, especially in areas where traditional networks fall short.—
Michael De Nil,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
How Treatment Types Affect Secondary Cancer Risk The study focused on women who received breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy as their first treatment.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Immediate gratification often outweighs long-term goals, creating a constant tension between saving and spending.—
Bruce Helmer,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
-
What began as a school assignment has evolved into a potential life-saving tool for explosive ordnance disposal teams across the Defense Department.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
He was acquired, along with closer Victor Vodnik, in a July 2023 trade with the Braves for reliever Pierce Johnson.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
17 Sep. 2025
-
In the last fortnight alone, Starmer's Deputy Prime Minister and close ally Angela Rayner has resigned after a house tax scandal, triggering a major cabinet reshuffle.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The position of elementary education among the least susceptible to poverty might be surprising, but elementary school teachers are scarce and in demand.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The number of investigations is scarce not because of a lack of potential violations.—
Max Blau,
ProPublica,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With September finally here, the yellow, orange and red hues of fall foliage will soon make an appearance, signalling the coming of the autumn and trees preserving their energy each year.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Sometimes, when the Fed cuts, long-term rates drop as well, preserving or even widening the spread.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sparing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sparing. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share