Synonyms of spreads

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!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disseminates
• propagates
• circulates
• broadcasts
• imparts
• transmits
• dispenses
• diffuses
• communicates
• passes (on)
• conveys
• radiates
• disperses
• sprawls
• dissipates
• sows
• scatters

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• holds (in)
• hides
• conceals
• obscures
• masks
• secretes
• contains
• restricts
• limits
• enshrouds
• cloaks
• shrouds
• veils

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• applies
• smears
• lays
• sheets
• lays on
• coats
• layers
• anoints
• dabs
• covers
• plasters
• slathers
• blankets
• overspreads
• surfaces
• carpets
• overlays
• bedaubs
• besmears
• daubs
• overlies
• mantles

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• exposes
• uncovers
• strips
• peels
• bares

3

as in circulates

to become known

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• circulates
• unfolds
• breaks
• reveals
• leaks (out)
• comes out
• tells
• gets out
• outs
• develops
• gets around
• gets about
• gets round
• discloses
• transpires
• spills

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• suppresses
• hides
• masks
• conceals
• disguises
• hushes (up)
• secretes

4

as in transmits

to cause (something) to pass from one to another

living conditions that help to spread chicken pox

Synonyms & Similar Words

• transmits
• gives
• conveys
• propagates
• disseminates
• communicates
• imparts
• transfers
• conducts
• delivers
• transfuses
• diffuses
• turns over
• infects
• broadcasts
• surrenders
• contaminates
• hands over
• poisons
• hands down
• hands on

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• catches
• contracts
• comes down (with)

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

• parts
• divides
• diverges
• separates
• retreats
• scatters
• branches (out)
• forks
• dissipates
• distributes
• disperses
• dispels
• broadcasts
• sows
• disbands
• recedes
• clears out
• distances
• bestrews
• breaks up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• joins
• converges
• meets
• gathers
• assembles

6

as in increases

to become greater in size, extent, volume, amount, or number

dissatisfaction with the new administration is spreading rapidly

Synonyms & Similar Words

• increases
• rises
• expands
• swells
• accelerates
• climbs
• multiplies
• proliferates
• intensifies
• accumulates
• waxes
• enlarges
• escalates
• mushrooms
• rolls up
• snowballs
• mounts
• gains
• surges
• builds up
• burgeons
• booms
• jumps
• appreciates
• balloons
• heightens
• distends
• skyrockets
• inflates
• redoubles
• rockets
• puffs (up)
• peaks
• bulks
• crests
• blows up
• crescendoes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decreases
• diminishes
• recedes
• wanes
• lessens
• contracts
• dwindles

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

• quilts
• coverlets
• bedspreads
• puffs
• bedcovers
• clothes
• counterpanes
• haps
• comforters
• bedclothes
• beddings

2

as in dinners

a large fancy meal often accompanied by ceremony or entertainment

they really know how to put out a good spread

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dinners
• banquets
• feasts
• feeds
• barbecues
• festivals
• regales
• roasts
• galas
• tables
• festivities
• repasts
• chow
• blowouts
• parties
• messes
• carnivals
• fetes
• buffets
• fries
• luncheons
• shindigs
• cookouts
• smorgasbords
• clambakes
• luaus

3

as in expanses

a wide space or area

a vast spread of land just waiting to be settled

Synonyms & Similar Words

• expanses
• expansions
• stretches
• reaches
• sheets
• distances
• plains
• lengths
• wastes
• breadths
• sweeps
• fields
• depths
• extents
• territories
• domains
• scales
• spans
• spheres
• spectra
• voids
• ranges
• extensions
• scopes
• magnitudes
• gamuts
• amplitudes
• latitudes
• compasses
• immensities

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

• ranges
• scales
• stretches
• spectra
• reaches
• gamuts
• diapasons
• widths
• sweeps
• measures
• pitches
• dimensions
• scopes
• realms
• extents
• amplitudes
• compasses
• ambits

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distances
• stretches
• removes
• widths
• spacings
• leads
• lengths
• heights
• spaces
• ways
• areas
• reaches
• rises
• throws
• sweeps
• falls
• volumes
• depths
• extensions
• altitudes
• ranges
• drops
• hauls
• flights
• casts
• breadths
• shots
• clearances
• extents
• scopes
• berths

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of spreads

Verb

How to avoid, treat cyclosporiasis Cyclospora spreads through water and food that are contaminated with human feces, so the best way to prevent cyclosporiasis is to avoid consuming things that could be contaminated with feces, according to the CDC. — Finch Walker, USA Today, 30 July 2026

No preset amount works for everyone, because body size and how a product spreads both vary. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

The Chenab River runs red with blood while poison pollutes the five rivers of Punjab and spreads through the fertile soil. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026

The parasite spreads through food or water contaminated with fecal matter, often linked to fresh produce such as berries, basil, cilantro and bagged salad mixes. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026

Studies suggest that the heart may also hold clues as to how cancer forms and spreads in areas more likely to be affected. — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 29 July 2026

Once Nathan knows, word spreads so fast that everyone knows Luke is leaving before all the guests have even left the boat. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 28 July 2026

Credit spreads for tech companies driving the AI buildout are widening and are expected to expand even more later this year as debt levels increase. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 26 July 2026

Funding is also a problem, as the severely degraded local health system in eastern Congo, as well as NGOs, struggles to cope as Ebola spreads in remote rural areas. — Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 23 July 2026

Noun

Nearly 22% of jobs worldwide could shift by 2030 as AI spreads, with 170 million new roles created against 92 million displaced, according to the World Economic Forum's most recent Future of Jobs Report. — Terdawn Deboe, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

On a breezy summer evening, lovers of Eastern Mediterranean mezze sit under patio umbrellas at Zaytinya, a restaurant from José Andrés, the humanitarian chef who founded the World Central Kitchen, and graze on kebabs, flatbreads, salads and spreads. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 28 July 2026

So far, though, the empirical pattern in fields like software, law, medicine, and content translation is that demand for human work shifts and grows as AI spreads. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 July 2026

Some are fleeing by boat, sleeping in cars and crowding into emergency shelters as disaster spreads. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 27 July 2026

Analysts for Mizuho warned last weekend about wider spreads specifically in the context of the smaller, more highly indebted neoclouds. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 26 July 2026

Symptoms can include arm or leg pain, numbness, weakness and tingling, and Mayo Clinic advises calling a doctor if pain in the neck or back spreads to an arm or leg. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 25 July 2026

Mayo Clinic warns to call a doctor if neck or back pain spreads to the arm or leg, or if numbness, tingling or weakness appears — classic signs of a herniated disc affecting the hand. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026

Additionally, two spreads in the October 1998 issue of Vogue Italia featured Bostons. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 17 July 2026