spreads 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of spread
1
2
3
4
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

6

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
4
as in ranges
the distance or extent between possible extremes the spread of grades was from 15 to 79 on that quiz

Synonyms & Similar Words

5

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
Visual aura is likely caused by a wave of electrical and chemical activity that spreads across the brain. Angela Haupt, Time, 4 Nov. 2025 Leaming said there may be broader implications if this plan works, and the pattern spreads. Rachel Barber, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025 Word spreads across Chicago’s wedding scene and Lou’s services are in high demand. Alex Ritman, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025 Then there's the way the virus spreads. Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025 Celebrity guest Jonathan Groff spreads good cheer, pairing up with contestants to compete against Fallon and his teammate in a festive edition of the iconic celebrity word game. Denise Petski, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025 Even sparks or embers carried by the wind can ignite nearby leaves or grass, triggering a fire that spreads rapidly. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025 Tau is a protein that often spreads after inflammation in the brain, and women tend to have stronger inflammatory reactions than men. Barbara Bry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025 Parents and educators worry about how quickly this technology spreads through schools. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
Make the countdown to Christmas delicious with this advent calendar that includes 24 jars of mini spreads. Molly Blanco, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2025 Week 9 features more big spreads, but in the NFL, these things tend to even out. Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025 An assorted trio of fruit spreads and a honey duo also feature as part of the holiday drop. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2025 Lower policy rates relieve pressure on floating-rate borrowers and can compress credit spreads before earnings estimates move. Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025 From Friendsgiving spreads to cozy family dinners, the right tools can make meal prep and hosting a breeze. Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025 The National Air Traffic Controllers Association and pilots’ groups have emphasized safety first, warning that the risk envelope tightens as fatigue spreads. Imran Khalid, Boston Herald, 27 Oct. 2025 Climate change affects the weather systems that control how air pollution forms, spreads, and dissipates, Yim explains. Angelica Ang, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025 There are tons of lopsided spreads in the early games, but there should be something for every football fan. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spreads
Verb
  • Legal observers are also watching whether the Court’s conservative majority—which invoked the major questions doctrine to strike down Biden-era initiatives on student loans, pandemic mandates, and climate rules—applies the same standard to a Republican president.
    Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The same applies to Stanley Black & Decker — a big Wednesday gainer.
    Jeff Marks, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Similar alarms are ringing for ocean currents, where freshwater ice melt is slowing down a major marine highway that circulates heat, known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC.
    Alexandra A Phillips, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Once the washing is done, the drying system circulates warm air – 110 °F (43 °C) – through carpet fibers, drying up to 400 sq ft of carpet in around two hours.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Powered by harmless red and infrared laser beams that pass through brain tissue, the MOTE transmits data back through tiny pulses of infrared light that encode the brain’s electrical signals.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Unlike the classical Internet, which transmits bits, the Quantum Internet distributes qubits through entanglement and teleportation, enabling capabilities beyond anything conventional systems can achieve.
    Mallik Tatipamula, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The game works as a progressive jackpot in which the prize increases the more people play, and Cox hit it big.
    Irene Wright, Charlotte Observer, 31 Oct. 2025
  • These farmers use a regenerative organic agriculture model that improves soil health, increases biodiversity, enhances water retention and improves the livelihoods of farming families.
    Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In this final phase, with international guests present, lavish dinners were orchestrated nightly, which was itself a feat, considering there were few good restaurants in Petaluma at the time.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Gaming executives much prefer the latter category of client (comping them suites and steak house dinners to encourage their patronage) because, with enough time at a table, the house’s statistical edge wins out.
    Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Never mind its name, extreme temperatures, and vast expanses of desert—there are also stones that move on their own.
    Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
  • WindBorne Systems But hurricane hunters can fly only so many missions, and most storms develop in places that aircraft can’t safely reach, such as over vast ocean expanses.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The research team underlined that the future work will explore other co-intercalants and optimize electrolytes for even wider temperature ranges.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Pooling of sea water is possible around high tide at beach and harbor areas that is uncommon with normal tidal ranges.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Urwerk revealed a watch that measures the distances our planet travels across the time-space continuum.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Adult Osedax generally grow on whale bones and their larvae are dispersed over large distances to populate other whale fall ecosystems hundreds of miles away.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spreads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spreads. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on spreads

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!