spread 1 of 3

1
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 3

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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2
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

spread (out)

3 of 3

verb (2)

as in to expand
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area let's spread the puzzle out on the floor and see what we've got

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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
Screenshots of these AIs at work spread across the Internet like postcards from the future, addressed to everyone who still believed that cyberattacks require skill. Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 7 May 2025 Divide the shells among plates and spread a thin layer of warmed refried bean on top. Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 7 May 2025
Noun
As for the actual experience, guests will be treated to a lavish spread at Epcot’s new lounge, GEO-82, located inside the park's iconic geodesic sphere that’s also home to its classic Spaceship Earth attraction. Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 6 May 2025 This is believed to be the first instance of mammal to human spread of the H5N1 strain. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 5 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for spread
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spread
Noun
  • The exhibit, up through March 28, showcases some of the same Ozark quilts that made an appearance in that exhibit, along with the debut of some newer acquisitions.
    Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 26 Apr. 2025
  • John Goodman, who began playing beloved patriarch Dan Conner on Roseanne nearly four decades ago, said he and his costars had already been given a quilt.
    Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 25 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
Noun
  • Republicans have been remarkably cavalier about the impact of cutting the expansion match.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
  • When the expansion Jags, with Boselli as a rookie left tackle, began playing in 1995, nobody expected much.
    Michael Silver, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The idea here is a 3-and-D forward who can potentially be switchable and guard across the positional spectrum while also drilling 3s.
    Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 1 May 2025
  • At the other end of the spectrum, 16% of respondents spent more than $100,000 on renovation projects.
    Terri Williams, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • The tough colt had nothing — not the distance, not the mud, no challenger — bothering him.
    Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
  • The post was a joke, and perhaps an effective one, maximizing the distance between Studio Ghibli’s tender, bittersweet, profoundly human ethos and the gleeful, dehumanizing viciousness that is Trump’s stock-in-trade.
    Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 3 May 2025
Noun
  • In December, the Beckhams were invited to join King Charles and Queen Camilla for a banquet at Buckingham Palace to mark the state visit of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
    Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 2 May 2025
  • Spirit of the Eagle Brad and Donna Burton have established the William Burton Spirit of the Eagle Scholarship as a memorial to honor their son William, who was killed in a 2017 car crash on his way home from a Granite Hills High School team banquet.
    John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In February, the president ordered the federal government to dramatically scale back the functions of the Presidio Trust, which was established by Representative Nancy Pelosi and oversees a popular expanse with stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
    Heather Knight, New York Times, 6 May 2025
  • On Florida’s Forgotten Coast, life moves slower and long expanses remain unmarred by development.
    Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2025
Noun
  • The mower is designed with a five-blade steel head, which provides gentle yet clean scissor-like cuts, and features an adjustable cutting height range of 0.5-inch to 1.75 inches.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 3 May 2025
  • Trump has disrupted decades of American trade policies, including with key security allies like Japan, by imposing big import taxes on a wide range of products.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spread.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spread. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

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