1
as in to pay
to hand over or use up in payment
I always end up spending too much money at the mall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to consume
to make complete use of
the town has already spent its budget for snow removal, and it's only January
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to waste
to use up carelessly
spent all his energy on impractical schemes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spend
Reportedly, birds that spend more time near certain cars are likelier to leave droppings.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
Plants spend all of their energy on flowering, so dividing during bloom time can stress their root development.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
The titles in The Infinity Rainbow Club series feature a group of five children with diagnoses like autism, ADHD, and OCD who spend time together in a school club for neurodivergent children.
—Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 15 Oct. 2025
Several other content creators have spent time travelling through Afghanistan, glowingly sharing stories about how men can still be men, given the Taliban’s preservation of traditional values.
—T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spend
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
Plants spend all of their energy on flowering, so dividing during bloom time can stress their root development.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
The titles in The Infinity Rainbow Club series feature a group of five children with diagnoses like autism, ADHD, and OCD who spend time together in a school club for neurodivergent children.
—Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 15 Oct. 2025
Several other content creators have spent time travelling through Afghanistan, glowingly sharing stories about how men can still be men, given the Taliban’s preservation of traditional values.
—T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spend
Verb
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What To Know According to the Associated Press (AP), the vote enables the county Board of Supervisors to approve rent relief efforts to tenants who cannot afford to pay their monthly costs of living due to the immigration crackdowns.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
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Through their performances, the 10 remaining couples will pay tribute to influential people in their lives.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This is a record of warmth and passion, one that hangs on the conviction that nobody has ever felt so consumed by the dizzy, wild and blissed-out rush of infatuation.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2025
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The advice in the 2025 scientific reports hasn't changed much from previous years, and includes an emphasis on consuming fruits and vegetables, lean meats and whole grains.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Recovering and processing that gas, instead of wasting it, could ease Iraq's chronic power shortages.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
15 Oct. 2025
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If the president had not wasted time floating perverse ideas about real-estate opportunities in Gaza, thousands of Palestinian lives might have been saved, and more of the Israeli hostages would be in the bosom of their families.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The quick and portable system also gives investigators the ability to do DNA analysis anywhere without the need for a labratory.—
Isabel Rosales,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
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However, since the announcement, discourse around who should and shouldn’t be given wings exposed just how stuck in the past some viewers still are.—
Essence,
Essence,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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So much for draining the swamp.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
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Maye hit Boutte on a back-shoulder throw in Sunday’s win over the Saints that allowed the Patriots to kneel on the ball, drain the clock and emerge victorious.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Max Muncy had just hurt his knee and would be out for a month, a 9-14 stretch when the team lost the bulk of what had been a nine-game division lead.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
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Debate rages on in Pennsylvania as to whether the Eagles offense is too predictable, or simply ineffective after the Eagles lost their second straight game last week, an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Giants on Thursday Night Football.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Instead of gradually boiling into insanity, the film hits fever pitch hallucinations right away and quickly exhausts itself attempting to keep pace.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
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Vacherot won the next two points, exhausting Djokovic in a rally to get to 40-Ad.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The posts from my friends and family are still there, but they are absorbed into the flow of brain rot and advertising.—
Julie Beck,
The Atlantic,
16 Oct. 2025
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Cysteine's effects were noted more in the small intestine than any other part of the digestive tract, likely because the small intestine is where most protein is absorbed, the researchers noted.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spend. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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