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

Tell me what the heck a gross bacterium that spreads disease has to do with sunscreen. — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2026

Candida auris is a type of yeast that can cause severe illness and spreads easily among patients with serious medical conditions in health care facilities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. — Emma Koppelman, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2026

For those observing broader market dynamics, the services layer illustrates how AI's economic impact spreads beyond visible infrastructure transactions. — Arthur Mouratov, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

The measles spreads easily through the air when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

If this model spreads, public access to home listings could become a fallback rather than the default. — Derrick Johnson, Time, 4 Aug. 2026

Between one to four days after the early symptoms, a red rash appears on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. — Michelle Richardson, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026

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

Noun

For CFOs, that's a clearer signal on whether current spreads reflect true borrowing risk or a measurement quirk when timing debt issuance. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026

Boards feature a selection of artisan meats, cheeses, seasonal fruit, olives, nuts, spreads and more. — Rick West, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026

Symptoms of cyclosporiasis Cyclosporiasis is caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis and spreads when infected feces contaminate food or water. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 30 July 2026

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

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