1
as in to disseminate
to cause to be known over a considerable area or by many people
spread the news!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to circulate
to become known
once news of the war's end had spread, spontaneous celebrations broke out everywhere
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to transmit
to cause (something) to pass from one to another
living conditions that help to spread chicken pox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to part
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to increase
to become greater in size, extent, volume, amount, or number
dissatisfaction with the new administration is spreading rapidly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in quilt
a decorative cloth used as a top covering for a bed
bought a brightly colored spread for summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in dinner
a large fancy meal often accompanied by ceremony or entertainment
they really know how to put out a good spread
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in expansion
a wide space or area
a vast spread of land just waiting to be settled
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
5
as in distance
the space or amount of space between two points, lines, surfaces, or objects
a spread of nearly 100 miles between farms
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Recent Examples of spread
Tim Lister, CNN Money, 6 July 2025
Living with a weak immune system increases your risk of having more oral herpes outbreaks, which can also spread more easily.1
Herpes sores are very contagious and can spread from kissing or sharing utensils.
—Carley Millhone, Health, 6 July 2025
arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
The ham is honey-roasted and served with caraway bread and a slightly tangy spread that complements the richness of the meat.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for spread
Verb
The fires have now spread into parts of Tartous province, despite the efforts of more than 60 firefighting units.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 6 July 2025
Living with a weak immune system increases your risk of having more oral herpes outbreaks, which can also spread more easily.1
Herpes sores are very contagious and can spread from kissing or sharing utensils.
—Carley Millhone, Health, 6 July 2025
Noun
Elsewhere, emergency crews worked to halt the spread of a new blaze that broke out late Thursday near the district of Buca.
—arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
The ham is honey-roasted and served with caraway bread and a slightly tangy spread that complements the richness of the meat.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for spread
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spread
Noun
-
Shoppers raved about the many benefits to owning the quilt.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 July 2025
-
Featuring knit and crochet items, baby quilts, floral arrangements, jewelry and wooden crafts.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Usually, cafe lattes in the mornings and dinners at the end of busy weeks.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
-
Weeknight dinners and Sunday meal prep don't have to be a chore with these deals on a time-saving air fryer, a compact juicer, and more.—
Jessica Kasparian,
SELF,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
The changes should spur the expansion of housing in urban areas that are close to jobs and transportation and make an impactful contribution toward addressing the housing crisis in California by narrowing the gap between housing demand and supply.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 July 2025
-
Infrastructure And Security Must Scale With Innovation With the proliferation of AI, IoT and edge computing, enterprises are seeing a massive expansion in the volume of connected devices, data streams and computing endpoints.—
Massimo Peselli,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
How the Autism Theater Project was born The theater program showcases lives on and off the spectrum in an authentic way, helping crew members and actors work on productions.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
12 July 2025
-
Since 2012, private equity sponsors have financed almost 3,000 energy enterprises across the spectrum, worth $617 billion.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
If location keeps deciding who moves up, then distance will keep pushing people out.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Maintain a safe distance from water, wet items, and metal objects.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
Early in the 20th century, the home was acquired by Austin Dunham Barney before being purchased in 1966 by the University of Connecticut Foundation, which used it for weddings, banquets, and conferences.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
29 June 2025
-
Invite Key Influencers To Learn About You At Annual Events One strategy that has worked well for us is to use our annual community banquet to invite key influencers to learn about our organization as guests.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
Places like Antarctica, Tasmania, and New Zealand sometimes offer glimpses of the elusive southern lights, but one of the most compelling places to witness the celestial event is in Patagonia, the mountainous expanse that straddles southern Argentina and Chile.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
-
Arizona, with its abundant sun, lack of oil and gas resources, open desert expanses and business-friendly policies, has been a leader in welcoming clean energy progress incentivized by Biden-era programs.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
Part-time employees at The Pad Climbing range from three to 30 hours per week, which requires an adaptable approach.—
Michelle Travis,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
In addition, the U.S. Global Change Research Program site provided a wide range of educational resources, including interactive webpages, videos and podcasts that explained the far-reaching impacts of climate change in an easy-to-understand manner, even for the public.—
Matthew Glasser,
ABC News,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spread.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spread. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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