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
Alicent's father is the Hand of the King, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), who spends years maneuvering to make sure his grandson inherits the Iron Throne.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 20 June 2026
All told, Negodiuk spends about $600 a month on tokens for AI agents.
—Elaine Pofeldt, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
Sister Rosemary Luyiga, who's 95, spends most of her time in her room, which holds a single bed and a chair.
—Sophie Neiman, NPR, 20 June 2026
In the film, Russell, 39, spends most of his screen time opposite Blunt, 43.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 20 June 2026
The small business owner of Ace High Concrete Supply lives in El Dorado Hills and spends around 25 hours on the road weekly.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Once feared, Cyrus now spends more time tending his herb garden than terrorizing the local village.
—Angelina Mazza, Vulture, 19 June 2026
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 19 June 2026
Magloire, who once dreamed of becoming a professional soccer career and has mixed feelings about the World Cup’s current state, nowadays spends more time thinking about movements on a stage than on a soccer field.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 20 June 2026
All told, Negodiuk spends about $600 a month on tokens for AI agents.
—Elaine Pofeldt, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
Sister Rosemary Luyiga, who's 95, spends most of her time in her room, which holds a single bed and a chair.
—Sophie Neiman, NPR, 20 June 2026
In the film, Russell, 39, spends most of his screen time opposite Blunt, 43.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 20 June 2026
The small business owner of Ace High Concrete Supply lives in El Dorado Hills and spends around 25 hours on the road weekly.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Once feared, Cyrus now spends more time tending his herb garden than terrorizing the local village.
—Angelina Mazza, Vulture, 19 June 2026
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 19 June 2026
Magloire, who once dreamed of becoming a professional soccer career and has mixed feelings about the World Cup’s current state, nowadays spends more time thinking about movements on a stage than on a soccer field.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spends
Verb
-
The agency also pays for 10 shelter beds at the Gateway Center and Salvation Army.—
Sara Gregory,
AJC.com,
18 June 2026
-
The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund—the primary fund that pays retirement benefits—is now projected to run dry in 2032, one year sooner than last year’s estimate.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
All in all, the researchers estimated their new device consumes at most one-tenth the power of current state-of-the-art electronic neuromorphic hardware.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
18 June 2026
-
Every inefficient query consumes additional compute resources.—
Chhandomay Mandal,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
-
If your phone switches to SOS mode, loses service or stops receiving calls and texts, contact your carrier right away.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
The twisting barrel easily clamps to hair (without pulling) and gives you long-lasting curls for up to two days.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
23 June 2026
-
What gives these companies confidence that non-invasive approaches to telepathy will prove viable, when this has never before been possible?—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
Watching this scene, and much of the film, exhausts me.—
Jenny Odell,
Longreads,
2 June 2026
-
If the search for a large outdoor planter exhausts you—just get a terra-cotta planter.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This creates friction, wastes time, and increases exposure to identity fraud, despite the existing technology for digital credentials.—
Raj Ananthanpillai,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Beth wastes no time shutting down the conversation.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The sensation, and the tranquility that comes with it, will stay with you long after the water drains away.—
Alissa Greenberg,
Mercury News,
15 June 2026
-
Lavender prefers coarse, sandy soil that drains quickly.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Zeolite absorbs excess oil while silk powder creates airy body and grit, making limp hair look instantly fuller and more lived-in.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
19 June 2026
-
Mineral sunscreens such as zinc or titanium oxide ward off the Sun’s rays by forming a protective film that also absorbs most UV light, but reflects some of it.—
Guy German,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spends. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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