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
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Recent Examples of sparing
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
19 Dec. 2025
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
30 June 2026
Her arm absorbed the blow, sparing Lizzie, but cutting Freeman to the bone, a wound that would ail her for years to come.
—
New York Times,
22 June 2026
Specialists say proton therapy is a precise tool that shrinks tumors while limiting side effects by sparing healthy parts of the body from harmful radiation.
—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
The Buc-ee’s candy that has been credited with fueling the Bulldogs’ offensive onslaught has been distributed in sparing doses in Georgia’s dugout at the College World Series.
—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
16 June 2026
This includes those with chronic kidney disease, advanced heart failure, or those taking certain medications such as ACE inhibitors, ARBs, or potassium-sparing diuretics.
—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
14 June 2026
Nuggets wing Torrey Craig made the same exact mistake as Fox with a few seconds left in Game 7 of a 2020 playoff series, but Mike Conley’s buzzer beater at the other end rimmed out, sparing Craig.
—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
12 June 2026
Gruesome as his actions might be, they were done in the hope of sparing a child from an even more agonizing end.
—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Gloria Romero will face Democrat Fiona Ma in the November race, according to the Associated Press, dashing Democrats’ hopes of locking out the GOP from a race and sparing Ma an intraparty fight against two other Democratic candidates.
—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
In other cases, the redactions were more sparing.
—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
There is less and less of it as the series goes on, because the idea was to be as sparing with it as possible.
—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
30 June 2026
Her arm absorbed the blow, sparing Lizzie, but cutting Freeman to the bone, a wound that would ail her for years to come.
—
New York Times,
22 June 2026
Specialists say proton therapy is a precise tool that shrinks tumors while limiting side effects by sparing healthy parts of the body from harmful radiation.
—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
The Buc-ee’s candy that has been credited with fueling the Bulldogs’ offensive onslaught has been distributed in sparing doses in Georgia’s dugout at the College World Series.
—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
16 June 2026
This includes those with chronic kidney disease, advanced heart failure, or those taking certain medications such as ACE inhibitors, ARBs, or potassium-sparing diuretics.
—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
14 June 2026
Nuggets wing Torrey Craig made the same exact mistake as Fox with a few seconds left in Game 7 of a 2020 playoff series, but Mike Conley’s buzzer beater at the other end rimmed out, sparing Craig.
—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
12 June 2026
Gruesome as his actions might be, they were done in the hope of sparing a child from an even more agonizing end.
—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Gloria Romero will face Democrat Fiona Ma in the November race, according to the Associated Press, dashing Democrats’ hopes of locking out the GOP from a race and sparing Ma an intraparty fight against two other Democratic candidates.
—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sparing
Adjective
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Ronaldo is clearly more economical with his running — staying more static between the width of the goalposts — meaning Portugal are less fluid across the front line.
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At these densities, air cooling is often no longer sufficient or economical.
Adjective
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Determination and careful calculations — hold on, carry the 2 — are a must.
-
Graduate students face lower federal limits and the loss of Grad PLUS, requiring careful financial planning.
Adjective
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Already, reports of sparse crowds have marred the Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair on the National Mall, the Daily Beast said.
-
In North Platte, Nebraska, vegetation is much sparser with drier soils.
Verb
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This will be a physically gruelling knockout stage, the first World Cup with five knockout matches, and conserving energy for later matches makes sense.
-
This song helps reinforce lessons like picking up litter, conserving water, and planting trees.
Verb
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With potentially record-breaking heat coming to Washington, DC on the Fourth of July, people wanting to catch fireworks by saving an early spot on the National Mall will have a lot of waiting to do.
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The sheriff's office says that deputies and workers extricated the man and attempted life-saving measures, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Adjective
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Not only did the Sabres not have the cap room for either one of those deals, but neither one would have been prudent with Buffalo’s long-term vision in mind.
-
Josh Hawley of Florida and Brian Kemp of Georgia, a little distance might prove prudent.
Adjective
-
Even though talks with the Boston Red Sox at last year’s deadline never got close, the confusion provided by an incorrect tweet announcing Ryan’s trade to New England put the pitcher at the top of every trade list before the season even began.
-
Ashley Smith is the manager of player engagement for the NFL, and the siblings are close.
Adjective
-
Rats are burrowing into aid parcels, forcing people to throw away scarce rice or flour supplies.
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Managing scarcity through digital modeling While deuterium is highly abundant and easily extracted from standard seawater, tritium is exceedingly scarce in nature.
Cite this Entry
“Sparing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sparing. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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