Synonyms of spending

spending

verb

present participle of spend

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

• paying
• giving
• expending
• disbursing
• wasting
• laying out
• outlaying
• dropping
• shelling out
• forking (over, out, or up)
• lavishing
• raining
• squandering
• dissipating
• blowing
• running through
• throwing away
• frittering (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• saving
• making
• earning
• hoarding
• acquiring
• securing
• realizing
• procuring
• winning
• gaining
• laying up
• caching
• garnering

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

• consuming
• draining
• exhausting
• reducing
• absorbing
• burning
• eating
• using
• depleting
• expending
• wasting
• devouring
• decreasing
• emptying
• playing out
• drawing down
• running out of
• using up
• lowering
• diminishing
• weakening
• downsizing
• dwindling
• undermining
• bankrupting
• crippling
• impoverishing
• lessening
• sapping
• cleaning (out)
• blowing
• squandering
• debilitating
• misspending
• disabling
• abating
• lavishing
• enfeebling
• guzzling
• drying up
• dissipating
• de-escalating
• throwing away
• running through
• frittering (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increasing
• replacing
• renewing
• enforcing
• enlarging
• reinforcing
• strengthening
• augmenting
• repairing
• restoring
• rebuilding
• saving
• preserving
• reviving
• conserving
• bolstering
• fortifying

3

as in wasting

to use up carelessly

spent all his energy on impractical schemes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wasting
• losing
• squandering
• lavishing
• blowing
• misspending
• consuming
• dissipating
• running through
• throwing away
• trifling (away)
• overspending
• frittering (away)
• splurging
• indulging
• fiddling away
• playing ducks and drakes with
• depleting
• exhausting
• expending
• impoverishing
• disbursing
• shooting
• overindulging
• laying out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conserving
• protecting
• saving
• economizing
• preserving
• skimping
• scrimping
• hoarding
• laying up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of spending

Sanders was 19 of 31 for 297 yards and two TDs in his first start this season in place of Deshaun Watson, who sat out after spending part of the past week in the NFL's concussion protocol. — ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026

The golf project could be included in spending legislation during the lame-duck Congressional session that begins next week. — Rick Maese, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2026

Second-year forward Danny Wolf entered early in the third quarter after spending the first seven games outside the rotation. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026

The Gates Foundation now plans to close in 2045 after spending down roughly $200 billion. — Emma Witman, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2026

James is in his first season with the Philadelphia 76ers after spending the previous eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. — Ryan Morik Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026

Nowhere, however, is spending on corruption ads greater—or the volume louder—than in the Texas Senate race, between the state attorney general, Ken Paxton, and the state representative James Talarico. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026

Still, they’re specifically limited to spending on education. — Adriana Morga, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026

Meanwhile, users are spending more time scrolling on Instagram, giving Meta more advertising opportunities. — Ari Levy, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026