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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David Ryder | Bloomberg | Getty Images Coding assistants have been some of the early winners of the generative AI rush, becoming the first real application type to attract a hefty number of paying users.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
22 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, individual coverage topped $9,300, on average, this year, up 5% – with employees shouldering $1,440 of the cost and employers paying the rest.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Conventional cleanup techniques often worsen the problem by disturbing soil structures and consuming large amounts of energy.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
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The agency says that consuming contaminated raw milk could make people sick, rather than protect them.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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See below for the best tips from professional cleaners on how to clean your blinds at home easily and efficiently, without wasting your whole day wiping them down.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
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Simply put, the Yankees can find better options for their bullpen, as opposed to wasting a roster spot on Hamilton.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Many have been wondering if WWE will end up giving Cargill her first world title reign in professional wrestling before the end of 2025.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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The pregame show addressed the sports gambling scandal, with insider Chris Hayes giving some details around seven minutes in.—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One of such instances occurred after a draining process of shipping their Land Rover to Australia — a move that cost around $7,000.—
Kaela Ling,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
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To propagate directly in soil instead, place the cutting in a small pot filled with well-draining soil so the node is buried.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Instead of losing the sale, the agent could interact with other retailers’ agents to source the item, complete the transaction, and fulfill the order — creating a frictionless and endless shopping experience that puts the shopper’s needs first.—
Matt Renner,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
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Moving forward, there are murmurs of those being stripped of titles and losing certain privileges.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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Betelgeuse, formally known as Alpha Orionis, will one day end its life in a spectacular supernova explosion upon exhausting the last of its fuel, which could be as bright as the full moon.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Solutions like breathable film packaging and smart logistics play a crucial role in reducing waste and prolonging shelf life.—
William Jones,
Freep.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Adopting a healthy lifestyle, including diet, exercise, sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding sugar, eliminating tobacco, and curbing or skipping alcoholic beverages altogether, play a role in reducing early breast cancer recurrence.—
Marnie Goodfriend,
Flow Space,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spending. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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