Synonyms of spends

spends

verb

present tense third-person singular of spend

1

as in pays

to hand over or use up in payment

I always end up spending too much money at the mall

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pays
• gives
• expends
• disburses
• outlays
• lays out
• wastes
• drops
• shells out
• lavishes
• forks (over, out, or up)
• rains
• squanders
• dissipates
• runs through
• blows
• throws away
• fritters (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• saves
• earns
• makes
• realizes
• acquires
• wins
• procures
• secures
• hoards
• lays up
• gains
• caches
• garners

2

as in consumes

to make complete use of

the town has already spent its budget for snow removal, and it's only January

Synonyms & Similar Words

• consumes
• exhausts
• drains
• absorbs
• reduces
• uses
• expends
• burns
• eats
• depletes
• devours
• plays out
• decreases
• empties
• draws down
• runs out of
• wastes
• uses up
• diminishes
• lowers
• weakens
• downsizes
• dwindles
• undermines
• lessens
• impoverishes
• cleans (out)
• saps
• squanders
• blows
• cripples
• bankrupts
• lavishes
• disables
• debilitates
• guzzles
• abates
• de-escalates
• dissipates
• runs through
• enfeebles
• dries up
• throws away
• misspends
• fritters (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• replaces
• increases
• renews
• augments
• enforces
• reinforces
• enlarges
• repairs
• strengthens
• saves
• restores
• preserves
• revives
• conserves
• fortifies
• bolsters
• rebuilds

3

as in loses

to use up carelessly

spent all his energy on impractical schemes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• loses
• wastes
• lavishes
• squanders
• consumes
• blows
• runs through
• dissipates
• throws away
• misspends
• trifles (away)
• indulges
• fritters (away)
• expends
• plays ducks and drakes with
• fiddles away
• depletes
• exhausts
• impoverishes
• disburses
• overspends
• splurges
• overindulges
• shoots
• lays out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conserves
• protects
• economizes
• saves
• preserves
• skimps
• scrimps
• hoards
• lays up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of spends

Teng spends time with Mark Perlmutter, a North Carolina surgeon who, like Teng’s other subjects, volunteers in Gaza, treating the many who have been severely injured in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Cuomo spends a lot of the album chewing over a middle-aged indecisiveness that mirrors the journey of his fans, adding a drolly poignant tinge to a warmly familiar sound. — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026

Avid hiker Bob Siegel spends hours exploring nature trails that wind around mountain ridges and stoop through valley floors. — Stephanie Lam, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026

The league president told ABC 10News on Monday that the league typically spends between $60,000 and $70,000 to operate a spring season, costs that go toward field maintenance, equipment, uniforms, vendors and more. — Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026

Alpert, who spends roughly 80% of the night on her left side, found the medium density softer than expected, but not at all floppy. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 13 Aug. 2026

On one hand, Frankie is a college dropout who spends her days hotboxing around Los Angeles while occasionally also delivering packages. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

The person who is supposed to be a patient's first human contact spends the whole visit on the phone. — Deepika Bodapati, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

In other words, someone who exercises regularly but also spends many hours each day watching television still has additional risks for worse cognitive health because of their passive sedentary behavior. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026