spreads 1 of 2

Definition of spreadsnext
present tense third-person singular of spread
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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

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spreads

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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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
For Monday, the severe weather threat spreads northeast and stretches across the Mississippi Valley up into the Midwest. Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026 Then, in the next neuron, a dendritic plateau potential causes a widespread voltage change that spreads across the entire dendrite. Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026 Bain said his passion for the game spreads to teammates. Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026 Transmission has not slowed, with cases topping 1,700 in just the first four months of this year as the virus spreads through communities that have turned away from vaccination. Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026 Survival rates decrease as the disease spreads. Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 24 Apr. 2026 Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or breathes, according to Maryland health officials. Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026 Rubner laid out five call option spreads traders can use to play next week’s news. Fred Imbert, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026 Rotavirus is a highly contagious virus that spreads easily and can make babies and young children very sick. Annette Regan, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
Those are hefty spreads for Game 7s. Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 May 2026 The Bermuda grass weed spreads by its roots (rhizomes) and seeds. Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Apr. 2026 Through the team, guests can tap chef Julian Martinez of Barbareño for everything from breakfast spreads and picnic packs to private dinners and even pizza-making classes. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026 Call spreads involve buying and selling call options on one asset at the same expiration date, though with different strike prices. Fred Imbert, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026 Salad bowl shops, places that push bowls filled with Mediterranean spreads and grains, and bowls brimming with açaí under tiles of sliced banana. Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026 And in the secondary market, SSA dollar bond yield spreads versus Treasuries have also fallen to a few hundredths of a percentage point recently. Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026 As optimism spreads, oil prices are falling. Chan Ho-Him, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026 Funds that cater to institutional investors focused on loans to middle-market borrowers that had more protective covenants and wider spreads, a feature that can also buffer potential losses, Gross said at Semafor World Economy in Washington, DC. Miles Weiss, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spreads
Verb
  • 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
  • Federal privacy laws require such documents before a federal agency collects or disseminates personal, identifiable information about the public for a new purpose.
    Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The automatic discount also applies to all purchases made on the Free People app—no minimum purchase required.
    Hannah Chubb, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Even once the standard is set, the 2027 deadline applies to creating the rule, not putting the technology in cars right away.
    Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Glucose is a type of sugar that circulates in the bloodstream after being absorbed from food.
    Liao Yue, The Conversation, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The three-stage filtration system captures common airborne particles, while its 360-degree air intake efficiently pulls in and circulates air in rooms of up to 2,400 square feet.
    Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Amp then transmits the audio through any connected speakers.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
  • Regeneron's gene therapy Otarmeni treats a rare disease where a faulty OTOF gene limits production of a protein that transmits sound signals in the ear.
    Angelica Peebles, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
  • This greatly increases the surface area available for electrochemical reactions and enables faster charging and discharging while maintaining high power density in an extremely small footprint.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Across the spectrum, increases to bonus payouts ranged from 6% to 43%, with a median of 13%, and an average increase of 12%.
    Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Everybody, including the president’s stern chief of security (Thomas Aquino), is skeptical of Creasy’s preparedness for the job, but Paul welcomes Creasy to multiple dinners with his family, including sullen teenage daughter Poe (Billie Boullet).
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Even food editors who cook all day need easy weeknight dinners.
    Joe Sevier, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • In these plans, recalled Douglas Vakoch, president of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) International in San Francisco, huge diagrams would be etched on large expanses of land here on Earth.
    Leonard David, Space.com, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Large expanses of glass keep the outdoors in constant view, so the house shifts with the light throughout the day.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Spreads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spreads. Accessed 3 May. 2026.

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