as in spendthrift
someone who spends money freely or foolishly
he's a spender and she's a tightwad, so naturally they quarrel about money a lot
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Recent Examples of spender
Heavy discounting from the likes of Burberry and Gucci in the past has left them struggling to regain their status among high spenders.
—
Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
Compared to some of the more extravagant spenders on The Forbes 400—such as Larry Ellison buying an entire Hawaiian island or Mark Zuckerberg taking over half of Palo Alto—Musk isn’t much into real estate these days.
—John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Liverpool weren’t the highest spenders on a net basis.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
In recent years, the prodigal spenders at the big Hollywood movies studios were always good for a zero-hour buy.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2025
In truth, the University of Alabama couldn't compete in the new landscape financially, falling way behind major spenders in the Big Ten and the state of Texas.
—Andrew Hughes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
The Indiana Energy Association, which represents utilities, was the top spender this past session on gifts and entertainment.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 21 Aug. 2025
Despite the team’s paltry payroll, Miami outperformed many of the league’s highest spenders during its midseason turnaround.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2025
Gilbert Public Schools, Sunnyside Unified School District and Scottsdale Unified School District topped the list of spenders, each allocating hundreds of thousands for the technology.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
Compared to some of the more extravagant spenders on The Forbes 400—such as Larry Ellison buying an entire Hawaiian island or Mark Zuckerberg taking over half of Palo Alto—Musk isn’t much into real estate these days.
—John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Liverpool weren’t the highest spenders on a net basis.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
In recent years, the prodigal spenders at the big Hollywood movies studios were always good for a zero-hour buy.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2025
In truth, the University of Alabama couldn't compete in the new landscape financially, falling way behind major spenders in the Big Ten and the state of Texas.
—Andrew Hughes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
The Indiana Energy Association, which represents utilities, was the top spender this past session on gifts and entertainment.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 21 Aug. 2025
Despite the team’s paltry payroll, Miami outperformed many of the league’s highest spenders during its midseason turnaround.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2025
Gilbert Public Schools, Sunnyside Unified School District and Scottsdale Unified School District topped the list of spenders, each allocating hundreds of thousands for the technology.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spender
Noun
-
Their spending habits were that of a spendthrift, and there was only one parent really making any income.—
R29 Team,
Refinery29,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Republicans should make liberals justify their own spendthrift ways, rather than playing defense.—
Erick Erickson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 July 2025
Noun
-
Show me exactly how to reorganize my day to focus on growth drivers first, which of my tasks are secretly time-wasters dressed as important work, and how to say no to everything else.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
For example, default settings for focus time added blocking of sites in the categories Shopping, Tabloids, and Time wasters.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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He was raised on Chicago’s North Side by a wastrel father and a mother who struggled to put food on their table.—
Ron Grossman,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Aug. 2025
-
Ridley, traumatized by the cancer death of her mother and considered mostly a wastrel by those around her for pursuing a degree in the dread-inducing major of art history, knows a thing or two about the mythology behind these kindly rainbow-spewing creatures.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Secrets are revealed, prodigals return, intolerances surface and family bonds are tested.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2025
-
The food today is extraordinarily good and prodigal.—
Jeff Kleinman,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spender. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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