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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spending Between outside economists and litigators, the states could end up spending $20 million. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 14 July 2026 The Anagram sunglasses style is the best way to get your hands on the maison’s finest without spending a fortune. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 14 July 2026 Chase died in a local hospital on June 16 of complications from AIDS, after spending years living unhoused around downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row area while struggling with drug addiction. — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026 The banks are also spending more; some of that money is going to new AI tools. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 14 July 2026 Restrict spending the food and gas because of the Moon Alert. — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 14 July 2026 Americans are living longer than ever, but many are spending their final decade or more managing chronic disease, pain and cognitive decline. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026 For consumption, Temasek sees opportunities in spending on experiences over goods, and homegrown consumer brands that have proved innovation capabilities, over foreign brands. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 8 July 2026 But instead, Patel is walking free after spending two years living with his parents and participating in therapy. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spending
  1. paying
  2. consuming
  3. wasting
  4. giving
  5. draining
  6. losing
  7. exhausting
  8. reducing
Verb
  • Rather than paying the Cuban government agency that runs medical missions, Calabria signed individual contracts with the doctors and makes deposits in their Italian bank accounts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
  • The Justice Department unveiled this case against it, essentially arguing that SPLC had been defrauding its donors by paying informants within far-right groups who were infiltrating those groups.
    — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026
Definition of paying
Verb
  • Check their website before consuming fish caught from the rivers.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • First, mantids feed indiscriminately, consuming a wide variety of insects including beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies, and syrphid flies.
    — Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2026
Definition of consuming
Verb
  • That the women who show such bravery in speaking out against powerful men are wasting their time because their trauma cannot compete with the power of sport, or the power that sport imparts on its protagonists.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 11 July 2026
  • In addition to following the strict Laws of the Game, keeping up with professional athletes and embracing their new technology, referees are also cracking down on time-wasting.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026
Definition of wasting
Verb
  • With the crack of the ball against his bat, Tommy Edman scored from third, giving the Dodgers the lead.
    — Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Another challenge is that the EV segment relies heavily on rare earths imported from China, giving Indian two-wheeler makers little control over supply and pricing.
    — Anu Raghunathan, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of giving
Verb
  • But if the drain line is clogged or the drain pan is not tilted appropriately, then this could prevent the moisture from draining away.
    — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 10 July 2026
  • Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose agency oversees the National Park Service, told conservative podcaster Katie Miller in an interview released earlier this week that the new round of draining was planned.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • The Bot gets -1 for guessing in five and -1 for losing to me.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
  • Avoid puddles - Driving into puddles or low rainwater areas can lead to vehicles hydroplaning or losing control.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 12 July 2026
Definition of losing
Verb
  • The two young women at the center of the chamber piece that is Fruit Gathering face more challenges than hard work in a monotonous environment, including exhausting work, economic uncertainty and social repression.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
  • This convergence is a very encouraging sign, providing the first footprint of a structural trend change and indicating that the selling pressure from the recent rug pull is finally exhausting itself.
    — Nishant Pant, CNBC, 7 July 2026
Definition of exhausting
Verb
  • The legislation reflects the complexity of the crisis, combining a total of 47 proposals aimed at increasing housing supply, reducing costs and expanding access to affordable homes.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • The goal is to improve inspection quality while reducing the risks associated with labor-intensive maintenance work.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
Definition of reducing

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spenders
spending
spending money
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Cite this Entry

“Spending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spending. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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