as in infectious
exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others
spreading enthusiasm that got our club rolling again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in disseminating
to cause to be known over a considerable area or by many people
spread the news!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in applying
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 circulating
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 transmitting
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in increasing
to become greater in size, extent, volume, amount, or number
dissatisfaction with the new administration is spreading rapidly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spreading
Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2026
While Zendaya and Roach are clearly spreading the four-part superstition across multiple looks, brides have often incorporated the old, new, borrowed and blue into a single wedding day outfit.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
The movement is spreading around the world, said Ezra Levin, a cofounder of Indivisible, the activist group spearheading the events.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
In practice, that involved ceasing to provide links or recommendations to official Potter events and products and committing themselves to directly countering the misinformation Rowling was spreading to her vast online audience.
—Séamas O'Reilly, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
One small spark of kindness ignites a spreading wildfire of kindness.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
Top of mind this month is the war that started in Iran but is rapidly spreading across the Middle East.
—Essence, 26 Mar. 2026
The message Energy Secretary Chris Wright is spreading at CERAWeek, for example, is a bit contradictory.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Efforts focused on preventing the blaze from spreading to an adjacent facility and removing chemicals from the site.
—Arkansas Online, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
Even minor sparks or drifting embers can incite nearby foliage or grass, setting off a rapidly spreading fire.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2026
While Zendaya and Roach are clearly spreading the four-part superstition across multiple looks, brides have often incorporated the old, new, borrowed and blue into a single wedding day outfit.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
The movement is spreading around the world, said Ezra Levin, a cofounder of Indivisible, the activist group spearheading the events.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
In practice, that involved ceasing to provide links or recommendations to official Potter events and products and committing themselves to directly countering the misinformation Rowling was spreading to her vast online audience.
—Séamas O'Reilly, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
One small spark of kindness ignites a spreading wildfire of kindness.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
Top of mind this month is the war that started in Iran but is rapidly spreading across the Middle East.
—Essence, 26 Mar. 2026
The message Energy Secretary Chris Wright is spreading at CERAWeek, for example, is a bit contradictory.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Efforts focused on preventing the blaze from spreading to an adjacent facility and removing chemicals from the site.
—Arkansas Online, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spreading
Adjective
-
Resort manager Puspa, born in a small village on the east of Bali, can tell you everything there is to know about the local traditions, while farm manager Wayan’s passion for sustainable agriculture is infectious.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That said, whole-virus vaccines can cause more unpleasant side effects, and in rare cases, weakened live pathogens can redevelop infectious capability.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Printmaking and protest Printmaking was one early means of disseminating dissent, said Allison Rudnick, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
No one thought to use it for disseminating knowledge.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Prior work has explored ultrasound sensing mainly on ground robots, but applying it to aerial robots has been difficult due to propeller noise and weak signals.—
Nitin Sanket,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The hurt kid became the class clown, the super friendly boy who was content to pal around with his buddies and leave applying himself to everyone else.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In addition, for almost two years, his wife, Deltah, drove Henard to Childress every Tuesday for infusions of Keytruda, an immune checkpoint inhibitor used to prevent recurrence of disease by attacking stray cancer cells that may still be circulating in the body.—
Caleb Hellerman,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
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Posts circulating from activists associated with the Denver chapter of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization included imagery referencing the Red Army Choir, Soviet symbolism and historical figures including Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong.—
Asra Q. Nomani,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Print would go on to play a vital role in the development of capitalism, transmitting price lists, important news, advertisements, and policy disputes all around the world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Jarvere Watson, 39, of Indianapolis, pleaded guilty March 19 to transmitting in interstate commerce a communication that contained a threat to injure the person of another.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One thing to keep in mind is that the bathrooms are open-concept, flowing into the bedroom and living area with no door separating the sink/vanity.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
And the optimization discipline to match it —Agentic Web Optimization — is already separating winners from the rest.—
Aviv Shamny,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The rapid melting is also increasing avalanche activity in unusual places.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Yet an increasing number of endurance athletes are taking on these longer ultramarathons.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That means that winemakers across what is now France must have switched from domesticating wild grapes to propagating them directly—that is, cloning grapevines by taking cuttings of the plants to start new groves.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Here are two simple methods for propagating ZZ plants.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spreading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spreading. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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