spread 1 of 2

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2
as in to apply
to put a layer of on a surface we spread the fertilizer over the lawn evenly until it was fully covered

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3
as in to circulate
to become known once news of the war's end had spread, spontaneous celebrations broke out everywhere

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4
5
as in to divide
to go or move in different directions from a central point the walls of the old barn spread under the weight of the snow on the roof

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6

spread

2 of 2

noun

1
as in quilt
a decorative cloth used as a top covering for a bed bought a brightly colored spread for summer

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3
4
as in spectrum
the distance or extent between possible extremes the spread of grades was from 15 to 79 on that quiz

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5

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 spread
Verb
Perkins spread the ball around, with seven different players recording a catch. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025 News of Baek-jin taking tens of thousands of dollars out of the burner account spreads discord among Baek-jin’s ranks, who are only in it for the money. Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
No butter knives struggling to slice through a solid rind or chef’s knives cluttering the spread. Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 2025 On April 22, 2025 Information Confirmed By Newsweek Sports Betting Staff Browse through the different spreads, totals and props to find your favorite market for your qualifying wager. Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spread
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spread
Verb
  • None All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium.
    David Keller, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Cuneo’s anti-Nazi operations, orchestrated from innocuous offices in New York’s Rockefeller Center, helped identify German spy rings and spread British propaganda, including by disseminating fabrications about Berlin’s intentions in Latin America.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The proposal would apply to single parents earning up to $100,000 per year and couples earning up to $200,000 per year.
    Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2025
  • If an institution like Harvard cannot resist tyranny when applied to it, then who can? KARL (voice-over): The Ivy League University refuses Trump's latest demands, putting billions in federal funding on the line.
    ABC News, ABC News, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • However, less than 48 hours after the end of the regular tax filing season, word circulated that the program would be axed.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The rumor circulated quickly on social media, as rumors do on social media.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Variations of this problem show up in various forms across computer science, especially in error coding and cryptography—fields focused on securely and accurately encoding data as it’s transmitted.
    Stephen Ornes, Wired News, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Intercepting biometric data as it is transmitted between devices and servers.
    Mohamed Lazzouni, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The city is divided along sectarian lines: The south is home mostly to Sunni Muslims, while the northern neighborhoods are mostly Alawite.
    Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Passengers are divided on the appropriateness of removing shoes during flights, citing comfort versus hygiene and safety.
    Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be? (1) Infrastructure in forms of roads and increased police and fire due to the growing population.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2025
  • What Murray did in the second half was increase his aggression off the dribble.
    Tony Jones, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Bedding Deals Swap heavy bedding for lightweight, cooling quilts, sheets, and gel fiber bed pillows to avoid overheating at night.
    Ali Faccenda, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
  • An employee walks past a quilt displaying Etsy Inc. signage at the company’s headquarters in the Brooklyn.
    Annie Palmer, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Don and Virginia Askew were sitting down to a fish dinner with their son Michael when plainclothes agents surrounded their house, some armed with shotguns.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
  • The first night at dinner, Stassi gets upset that her husband and his sister have tattoos of each other’s names.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spread.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spread. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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