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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in loses
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 spends
The mother spends her waking hours working on other people’s farms and performing tasks the neighbors prefer not to do themselves.
—
The Know, Denver Post, 31 May 2026
My daughter calls me a creative engineer, someone who spends her life creatively thinking about ways to provide live experiences that offer joy and beauty, or maybe more importantly, that challenge us to see things differently.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Along with bandmates Barry Kerch (drums), Zach Myers (guitar) and Eric Bass (bass), Smith spends the majority of the year on the road.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Divine Deablo often spends his nights watching old Super Bowls with a bowl of cereal in hand.
—Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 29 May 2026
Puerto Rican brand Ron del Barrilito primarily uses sherry butts to mature its rum; the Three Stars expression spends six to 10 years aging in oloroso sherry casks specifically.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 29 May 2026
That could include a driveway, backyard, entryway, garage area or outdoor space where your family spends time.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
Neal spends almost the full runtime in a swiveling seat on a high platform, hemmed in by computer equipment and spotlit in a focused area that emphasizes the claustrophobic conditions (lighting design by Garrett Bell).
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
In my experience, traditional red teaming—where a human team spends two weeks trying to break a system—cannot keep up with the speed of AI development.
—Joan Vendrell, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
The Know, Denver Post, 31 May 2026
My daughter calls me a creative engineer, someone who spends her life creatively thinking about ways to provide live experiences that offer joy and beauty, or maybe more importantly, that challenge us to see things differently.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Along with bandmates Barry Kerch (drums), Zach Myers (guitar) and Eric Bass (bass), Smith spends the majority of the year on the road.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Divine Deablo often spends his nights watching old Super Bowls with a bowl of cereal in hand.
—Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 29 May 2026
Puerto Rican brand Ron del Barrilito primarily uses sherry butts to mature its rum; the Three Stars expression spends six to 10 years aging in oloroso sherry casks specifically.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 29 May 2026
That could include a driveway, backyard, entryway, garage area or outdoor space where your family spends time.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
Neal spends almost the full runtime in a swiveling seat on a high platform, hemmed in by computer equipment and spotlit in a focused area that emphasizes the claustrophobic conditions (lighting design by Garrett Bell).
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
In my experience, traditional red teaming—where a human team spends two weeks trying to break a system—cannot keep up with the speed of AI development.
—Joan Vendrell, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spends
Verb
-
The developer later trimmed the number of homes to 99 and agreed that no building permits will be issued until American Homes 4 Rent pays for and installs a traffic light at nearby Faith and Shearer roads.—
Joe Marusak
May 27,
Charlotte Observer,
27 May 2026
-
The stadium is being built to make Sacramento a turnkey market for promotion out of the USL, which plays in smaller stadiums of roughly 10,000 fans across the country and pays players a fraction of MLS payrolls.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
After all, Mother is inhuman and consumes brain fluid, hinting at a parasitic nature.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
America consumes too much and saves too little.—
Neil Shearing,
Time,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Big Papi loses to David Eckstein, leaves Minnesota, wins a ring with Boston.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
This is not the only palace hotel on the Bosphorus, as views from the water will attest, but its smaller size compared to the competition gives it the exclusivity for which Four Seasons properties are known.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Landing the greatest shooter in NBA history gives Li-Ning a marquee athlete and further strengthens China's growing presence in the league.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
If the search for a large outdoor planter exhausts you—just get a terra-cotta planter.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
6 Apr. 2026
-
As the oil blockade quickly exhausts Cuba’s supply of fuel, triggering a series of lengthy, island-wide blackouts, many here are exhausted and are becoming increasingly vocal about their desire for fundamental changes in Cuba.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But police say the game wastes resources and could have severe unintended consequences.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
-
The script, credited to new collaborator Simon Lyashenko and Zvyagintsev and adapted freely from Chabrol’s 1969 thriller, wastes nothing, not even a throwaway comment at a restaurant dinner that Gleb and Galina attend about the last time Gleb cleaned his own house.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Make sure the soil at the planting site drains within one hour following heavy rain, as peach trees do not tolerate soggy soil.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
30 May 2026
-
Field observations noted that a manhole at the location was spilling into an area roughly 100 feet by 10 feet, with runoff entering a stream that drains into the tributary.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Other minor risks include scrotum congestion (a sense of discomfort or pressure that usually resolves over time) and sperm granuloma (a non-dangerous lump that the body usually absorbs) and pain, the clinic adds.—
Sara Moniuszko,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Taco night can swing from chicken to beans to leftover roasted vegetables and grain bowl night absorbs whatever produce is about to turn.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spends. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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