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 wastes
to use up carelessly
spent all his energy on impractical schemes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 spends
Corden is joined by Bobby Cannavale and Neil Patrick Harris for the first-ever Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s play, which follows three longtime friends whose relationship is pushed to the brink when one of them spends a fortune on a stark, all-white painting.
—
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
But the labor reductions also arrive as the company spends heavily on AI.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
Along with his partner Joe Mizzoni, Ford still spends time at the farm, preparing for the upcoming bounty.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
The film, which expands on Manuel’s Silver Bear Jury Prize-winning short of the same name from the Berlin Film Festival, follows Isabel, a tee-girl at Manila’s Alabang Golf & Country Club who spends her days teeing up golf balls mere inches from swinging clubs.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
Most Cameroonians have known only one president, who rarely appears in public and spends long stretches abroad, particularly in Switzerland.
—NPR, 27 Oct. 2025
His Bruce spends a fair amount of time by himself, and doesn’t speak the language of the therapeutically schooled.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
According to the real-estate search engine StreetEasy, a property in Park Slope spends a median of seventy-eight days on the market.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Although both brothers are the subjects of the film, Quentin spends most of the time on camera while Owen remains behind the lens.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
But the labor reductions also arrive as the company spends heavily on AI.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
Along with his partner Joe Mizzoni, Ford still spends time at the farm, preparing for the upcoming bounty.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
The film, which expands on Manuel’s Silver Bear Jury Prize-winning short of the same name from the Berlin Film Festival, follows Isabel, a tee-girl at Manila’s Alabang Golf & Country Club who spends her days teeing up golf balls mere inches from swinging clubs.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
Most Cameroonians have known only one president, who rarely appears in public and spends long stretches abroad, particularly in Switzerland.
—NPR, 27 Oct. 2025
His Bruce spends a fair amount of time by himself, and doesn’t speak the language of the therapeutically schooled.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
According to the real-estate search engine StreetEasy, a property in Park Slope spends a median of seventy-eight days on the market.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Although both brothers are the subjects of the film, Quentin spends most of the time on camera while Owen remains behind the lens.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spends
Verb
-
The collection also pays tribute to the Belgian designer’s work for Y/Project, with various pieces in the collection—from boots through to prints—nodding to key archival designs.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The general fund also pays for parks, trash pickup, public works, code enforcement, and the county’s administrators and management staff, according to budget documents.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Art that moves you, love that consumes you, moments that feel like magic.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Altman previously said the average ChatGPT query consumes as much energy as a lightbulb would in a couple of minutes.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Proposition 50 mocks California voters and wastes hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in the process.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
21 Oct. 2025
-
That clogs the judicial system, wastes limited resources, and delays justice for those with legitimate grievances.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Article 1 of the Constitution specifically gives Congress the power to declare war.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Billed as an action crime drama, which gives a magical realism twist to a real-life figure.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The group exhausts and irritates opposing pitchers.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Nothing, not even the slog of a miles long backcountry ski, exhausts me like chugging upward on two wheels.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Milei caters masterfully to Trump’s ego and will be president even if his party loses seats in Argentina’s legislature.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Make sure to soak the plant thoroughly so the water drains from the bottom of the pot.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
-
What Hulu did years ago with its Castle Rock series, remixing different threads across King’s universe with a playful wink, Welcome to Derry approaches with a dutiful studiousness that drains it of fun.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The most common isotope, plutonium-239, is produced when the most common isotope of uranium, uranium-238, absorbs a neutron and then quickly decays to plutonium.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Key Takeaways Spinach is high in iron, but the body absorbs it less easily than iron from meat.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spends. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share