spreads 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spread
1
as in disseminates
to cause to be known over a considerable area or by many people spread the news!

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in applies
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in circulates
to become known once news of the war's end had spread, spontaneous celebrations broke out everywhere

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in transmits
to cause (something) to pass from one to another living conditions that help to spread chicken pox

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in parts
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in increases
to become greater in size, extent, volume, amount, or number dissatisfaction with the new administration is spreading rapidly

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

spreads

2 of 2

noun

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

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2
as in dinners
a large fancy meal often accompanied by ceremony or entertainment they really know how to put out a good spread

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3
as in expanses
a wide space or area a vast spread of land just waiting to be settled

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

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5
as in distances
the space or amount of space between two points, lines, surfaces, or objects a spread of nearly 100 miles between farms

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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 spreads
Verb
The primary way the parasite spreads is via human feces, so a lack of toilets and sanitation stations in fields where produce and vegetables are grown and harvested can be a major source of Cyclospora, public-health experts say. — Alice Park, Time, 8 July 2026 One small site can't match a hyperscaler's always-on uptime, so Cango spreads the reliability around instead. — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through feces. — ABC News, 8 July 2026 Motonui has long withstood that curse, but trouble catches up to them when disease spreads through the coconut trees and the fisherman report that their once plentiful catch has disappeared. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026 If mass transfer occurs too early, say millions of years before the final supernova blast, the team found that the material spreads far away from the binary stars, dissipating the surrounding cocoon. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 July 2026 The virus spreads through the saliva or nervous system tissue of infected mammals, usually through bites. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 July 2026 Those worries make sense, and understanding how bird flu spreads and what to watch for is the best way to protect your flock and yourself. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026 So the researchers adapted this to their own system, which spreads roughly 90,000 bases of DNA across seven separate circular DNA molecules. — ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
Noun
Amazon issued bonds in eight tranches ranging from three to 40 years, according to BofA, and hyperscaler bond spreads expanded between six and 15 basis points that day. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 8 July 2026 Week two expansion is earned because more theaters want a piece of that action, word of mouth spreads, and the movie has a long theatrical run. — Daren Smith, IndieWire, 8 July 2026 Sometimes the eyes are the only thing that changes between spreads, a technique that is especially effective when the characters are rigid reptiles with a limited range of motion. — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026 Cottage Kitchen offers preserves and spreads made from wild- and farm-sourced ingredients, like Chandler strawberry jam and hot-pepper jelly. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 7 July 2026 Price talk for the longest-dated of Amazon’s coming bonds is higher than the company’s last debt raise in March, even as credit spreads for blue-chip borrowers have tightened since then. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 July 2026 Investment grade spreads are trading near historical tights, and high yield spreads have compressed below 300 basis points — a level that, according to iShares analysis, has occurred only 5% of the time since January 2000. — Jason Kirsch, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 New traders can also be left vulnerable in low-volume markets because spreads between buying and selling can blow out, making trades more expensive, said Eric Zitzewitz, professor of economics at Dartmouth College. — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 2 July 2026 No picnic or potluck is complete with one of the most nostalgic spreads—egg salad. — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 27 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spreads
  1. disseminates
  2. applies
  3. circulates
  4. transmits
  5. parts
  6. increases
  7. quilts
  8. dinners
Verb
  • Irrespective of how the threat is made, the agency's Protective Intelligence division examines and disseminates general threat intelligence to the entire agency.
    — Donald J. Mihalek, ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Much of that money has been routed through a nonprofit judicial advocacy group Leo founded — now called The 85 Fund — which both receives and disseminates Leo’s funding.
    — Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 7 Apr. 2026
Definition of disseminates
Verb
  • This article was generated by the CA Earthquake Bot, software that analyzes structured information, such as data, and applies it to articles based on templates created by journalists in the newsroom.
    — CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
  • The planning commission applies the law during its approval process.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of applies
Verb
  • Fox does not disclose tournament ad revenue, and spot pricing circulates only as unattributed estimates.
    — Maureen Kerr, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • As blood circulates through your smallest vessels, some fluid leaks out through the vessel walls into surrounding tissue.
    — Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 29 June 2026
Definition of circulates
Verb
  • In the clinical setting, Busbee said, physical therapists use different size electrodes for various parts of the body, attached to a machine that transmits an electrical current to the electrodes.
    — Diana Anos, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
  • The system processes pilot inputs through computers and transmits electrical signals to flight controls, improving safety, reliability, maneuverability, and reducing aircraft weight by removing mechanical linkages.
    — Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 25 June 2026
Definition of transmits
Verb
  • Trever parts his hair to the right while his brother styles his combover to the left.
    — Jay Stahl, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Later, Hamilton parts the sea on his kick scooter, speedily escaping from the hectic press area.
    — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of parts
Verb
  • Airport officials say the new design increases the distance between the terminal and the nearest runway, currently as little as 257 feet, soon to be about 880 feet, bringing the airport into compliance with FAA standards.
    — Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • Firejet production also increases Beyond collaborative combat aircraft, the expansion will increase production of Kratos’ Firejet family of aerial target systems.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 July 2026
Definition of increases
Noun
  • Its patchwork patterns are reminiscent of antique quilts with plenty of Southern charm, and they’re printed and stitched in sections along the length of the quilt.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 1 July 2026
  • Better Homes & Gardens Stripe Chambray Quilt Cotton quilts typically have three layers; the two thin outer layers can wick away moisture and provide a cooling effect, which is why this chambray quilt is the perfect summer layer for your bed.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2026
Definition of quilts
Noun
  • Evans says that means more young people feel pressure to spend to fit in, whether that’s saying yes to expensive bachelorette parties, last-minute concert tickets or big dinners.
    — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Within the venue gates but outside the stands, groups of friends were playing cornhole and having picnic dinners from food trucks parked onsite; older attendees were chatting and kids were kicking around mini soccer balls.
    — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 7 July 2026
Definition of dinners

Browse Nearby Words

spread (out)
spreads
spreads (out)
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Cite this Entry

“Spreads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spreads. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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