1
as in paying
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 consuming
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 wasting
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 spending
Brown’s descendants, and their spouses, are responsible for pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the community and spending countless hours serving on local nonprofit boards.
—
Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
The Blackhawks are still spending more time in the defensive zone and less time in the offensive zone compared to other NHL teams.
—Scott Powers, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
But the donation may be in violation of the Antideficiency Act, which prevents federal agencies from spending more money than Congress allows or from using unpaid help that Congress hasn’t approved.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
Trophy Club Byron Nelson’s Parker Almanza hadn’t played quarterback for two years until this season, spending his time at tight end.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2025
In 2012, she was supposed to move to New York City but opted to stay after spending the summer with her family.
—Erica Marrison, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Prosecutors and the media had unwound a web of lies from Santos over the years, including illegally spending donor money, lying about being Jewish, and fabricating his resume.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 18 Oct. 2025
Jose Quintana will also be a free agent, so the cautiously spending Brewers will be looking for arms in their rotation.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Mother-of-three Cano had been looking forward to retiring one day and spending more time with her family.
—Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
The Blackhawks are still spending more time in the defensive zone and less time in the offensive zone compared to other NHL teams.
—Scott Powers, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
But the donation may be in violation of the Antideficiency Act, which prevents federal agencies from spending more money than Congress allows or from using unpaid help that Congress hasn’t approved.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
Trophy Club Byron Nelson’s Parker Almanza hadn’t played quarterback for two years until this season, spending his time at tight end.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2025
In 2012, she was supposed to move to New York City but opted to stay after spending the summer with her family.
—Erica Marrison, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Prosecutors and the media had unwound a web of lies from Santos over the years, including illegally spending donor money, lying about being Jewish, and fabricating his resume.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 18 Oct. 2025
Jose Quintana will also be a free agent, so the cautiously spending Brewers will be looking for arms in their rotation.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Mother-of-three Cano had been looking forward to retiring one day and spending more time with her family.
—Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spending
Verb
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On average, paying cash for care could be cheaper especially with lower-cost options like telemedicine and urgent care.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
With Apple Intelligence still months away from broad rollout and upgrade elasticity weakening, investors may be paying a premium for a business entering a slower-growth phase.—
Tony Zhang,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Nutrient-rich agricultural runoff and sewage cause huge algal blooms, and when these algae die and sink, bacteria bloom in turn, consuming so much oxygen that few other organisms survive at lower depths.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
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Other methods use enzymes to isolate cells, but those procedures are time consuming and can threaten useful cell characteristics.—
Perri Thaler,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The California Republican Party, which was supposed to serve as the No side’s get-out-the-vote force, has been accused of wasting millions of dollars on a mail program.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Nov. 2025
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The biggest mistake that girls make when going into the interview portion of the pageant, Alverson says, is wasting their interview time on unnecessary, pandering statements.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After being introduced to Picasso, Stein quickly developed a close relationship with him, discussing his work in his cluttered studio, giving him loans, and purchasing his paintings.—
Daphne Merkin,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
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Once seated, she is expected to become the 218th signatory on the discharge petition, giving the coalition enough support to force Johnson’s hand.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the moments before Murphy’s goal, Jarrod Bowen had struck the right post, but the sense of hope draining from West Ham’s ground was lost on Howe’s players.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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According to the GoFundMe, which was started by Wall, Leo is facing a long recovery and currently has a tube draining saliva.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Its share price collapsed a few months after going public, losing a third of its value since the start of the year before Monday's news.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
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Opening a business with 2% margins in a city that already gets top scores for equitable access to groceries sounds like a losing proposition.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After exhausting themselves in this 7-hour game, the two teams will have to do this all over again on Tuesday in Game 4.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC news,
28 Oct. 2025
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In today’s housing market, even the lucky ones often face exhausting ordeals and need to stretch their budgets to land a home.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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According to the current lawsuit, Fletcher has not paid his half of the minimum $1,500 per month restitution for the existing settlement, but his ex-wife has paid her portion, reducing the restitution balance to just under $56,000.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Nov. 2025
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These are all part of standard advice for good sleep hygiene, which also includes reducing screen use before bed and creating a regular evening routine, like reading or listening to calming music.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spending. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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