SPREADING Synonyms: 170 Similar and Opposite Words

spreading 1 of 2

adjective

as in infectious

exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others spreading enthusiasm that got our club rolling again

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Relevance

spreading

2 of 2

verb

present participle of spread

as in disseminating

to cause to be known over a considerable area or by many people spread the news!

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in applying

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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as in circulating

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

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as in transmitting

to cause (something) to pass from one to another living conditions that help to spread chicken pox

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as in separating

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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as in increasing

to become greater in size, extent, volume, amount, or number dissatisfaction with the new administration is spreading rapidly

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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 spreading

Verb

Demonstrations over corruption and a lack of jobs have begun spreading throughout Albania. — Reuters, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026 On top of these lawsuits, social media platforms are facing a loss of business as bans for minors are accelerating and spreading worldwide. — Ari Lightman, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026 Aside from spreading fear and anxiety through the agricultural labor force — which might be the point, if the hope is many will self-deport — the surge is having some other bizarre and probably unintended consequences. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 But if there is strong evidence of malware spreading from that server to other systems, the potential cost of waiting may be greater than the potential cost of isolating the server. — Asaf Wiener, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 At first, the officers tried to put out the fire with extinguishers, but the flames kept spreading into the passenger compartment. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 When firefighters arrived, the fire was spreading quickly among the SUVs. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Oct. 2026 Northeast Kansas City residents have expressed concerns about lack of community feedback and concentrating homeless services in certain areas, potentially overburdening a few neighborhoods rather than spreading services out more throughout the city. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026 Was the virus spreading between people – the start of a pandemic that could kill millions? — Raj Panjabi, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spreading

Adjective

The necropsy found that Jackie had multiple conditions, including a type of infectious avian flu.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
In the pre-choruses, the chords and background vocals fill the spaces around Swift’s fragmented, stop-start lead vocal, creating an infectious call-and-response flow.

— David Penn, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of infectious

Verb

The order and accompanying legislation must be designed so that collecting and disseminating foreign trade secrets advances defense and intelligence priorities and does not unduly distort the free market.

— DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
Mid-market carve-outs rarely command a TSA long enough to deliberate, so the real skill is collecting and disseminating the supporting information quickly enough that leadership can make sound choices in rapid succession.

— Miki Kapoor, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of disseminating

Verb

Agarwal is effectively taking infrastructure developed around one of the most document-heavy and regulated consumer financial transactions and applying it to a wider collection of financial problems.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
There is a special difficulty in applying just-war theory to wars between a powerful military and an insurgent group.

— Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of applying

Verb

That role demands reliable equipment capable of transmitting strategic instructions during severe national security crises.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
The latest hotter than expected PPI figures indicate that price pressures are now transmitting from the energy sector into the broader real economy.

— , CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of transmitting

Verb

Examples of ultraprocessing include separating whole foods into substances, chemically formulating foods or using cosmetic additives such as food dyes.

— Garrett M. Broad, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026
Use Data To Evaluate Ideas One helpful practice is separating the idea from the person voicing it.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of separating

Verb

Beyond domestic challenges, CATL is also scrambling to build more plants in Europe to avoid running afoul of increasing EU protectionism.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
While the disease remains more common among women over 50, diagnoses among younger women are increasing, prompting cancer specialists to encourage earlier conversations about individual risk.

— Melissa May, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026