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
More than one in three West Virginia households is considered energy burdened, spending more than 6% of their income on electricity and other fuel costs.
—
ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
After photos emerged of New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spending time with NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a luxury hotel in Arizona, Russini said the photos were taken out of context and her employer has come to her defense.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
While senior Kamran James of Orlando recovers from shoulder surgery, the 6-foot-6, 270-pound McCray has consistently made plays this spring at strong-side defensive end after spending 2025 at edge rusher before a knee injury sidelined him Week 1 and a broken foot ended his season in Week 2.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
After spending the top of the year promoting his Amazon MGM Studios thriller Crime 101, Hemsworth was weighing his options for this summer and got excited after seeing the latest Extraction 3 script.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2026
The Dodgers have made clear that saving an inning for the postseason is preferable to spending it during the regular season.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Surveillance video showed a group of people walking outside the warehouse before going inside and spending more than half an hour spray-painting profanities and trashing the facility.
—Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
In both cases, spending by campaign staff may also count toward those totals.
—Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Two-thirds of those surveyed admitted to spending too much time on their devices.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
After photos emerged of New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spending time with NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a luxury hotel in Arizona, Russini said the photos were taken out of context and her employer has come to her defense.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
While senior Kamran James of Orlando recovers from shoulder surgery, the 6-foot-6, 270-pound McCray has consistently made plays this spring at strong-side defensive end after spending 2025 at edge rusher before a knee injury sidelined him Week 1 and a broken foot ended his season in Week 2.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
After spending the top of the year promoting his Amazon MGM Studios thriller Crime 101, Hemsworth was weighing his options for this summer and got excited after seeing the latest Extraction 3 script.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2026
The Dodgers have made clear that saving an inning for the postseason is preferable to spending it during the regular season.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Surveillance video showed a group of people walking outside the warehouse before going inside and spending more than half an hour spray-painting profanities and trashing the facility.
—Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
In both cases, spending by campaign staff may also count toward those totals.
—Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Two-thirds of those surveyed admitted to spending too much time on their devices.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spending
Verb
-
The list prices of their shots are roughly $1,000 per month before insurance and other rebates, or discounts for cash-paying patients — a sum that has long prevented many others from starting and staying on treatment.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Many players also opt for deferrals and large signing bonuses (as opposed to a higher salary) to avoid paying income tax in certain states.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What mattered was the relationship between the people creating the content and the audience consuming it.—
Jonathan Hunt,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
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With the new Iran war consuming international attention and Israel escalating strikes in Lebanon, diplomatic pressure for meaningful progress in Gaza has dramatically weakened.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The resolution emphasized that Bouchat is wasting taxpayer money and said his failure to perform duties is slowing down the chamber.—
Britta Miller,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Apr. 2026
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But after wasting a big opportunity in the fifth, the Angels broke through in the sixth.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Rocus, also known as The Bone Wreck, ran aground while transporting a cargo of cow bones to be used as fertilizer on the island, thus giving Anegada's Cow Wreck Beach its unique name.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
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All in all, Springs totaled seven scoreless innings, one hit, two walks, six strikeouts and 93 pitches before giving way to a bullpen that also blanked the Bombers.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While attacks are currently focused on financial fraud and draining the accounts of victims, InfoBlox says the level of access these trojans offer would allow expansion into extortion, blackmail, and corporate breaches including ransomware attacks on companies.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
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If root rot may be an issue, repot the plant in fresh soil, and make sure to use a well-draining pot that will keep the soil from becoming too soggy in the future.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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McIlroy at least steadied himself after losing the lead.—
Doug Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
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The overwhelming grief of losing a child became even worse when a detective gave her a notebook from Audree’s locker.—
Meena Duerson,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Both countries aim to counter cheap, high-volume threats without exhausting high-value interceptors.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Apr. 2026
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Most people who reach out to Gahl do so after exhausting nearly every other option and cycling through multiple specialists and medical centers.—
Alexandra Sifferlin,
STAT,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The station initially bridged the sudden budget gap last year by reaching out to donors directly and reducing costs to bring down overhead.—
Savannah Sicurella,
AJC.com,
11 Apr. 2026
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The ship suffered substantial damage, and the Reagan administration retaliated by damaging or sinking three Iranian warships and three oil platforms, drastically reducing Tehran’s ability to engage in the gulf.—
Dalia Abdelwahab,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spending. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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