spreads 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of spread
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2
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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

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

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as in spectrums
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
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, spreads through close contact with people who are already sick with the virus or by touching objects with the virus on them. Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 15 Oct. 2025 Cells are so complex, however, that getting a sense of how one protein’s failure spreads through the system is tough. Veronique Greenwood, Time, 14 Oct. 2025 Measles spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025 The illness spreads through the tribe, sickening one of its leaders and creating division and disorder. Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 Where the internship is located Your homebase is in Charlotte, but our coverage area spreads to communities in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Gaston, Lincoln and other counties, and across the South Carolina border to York County. Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025 As Max spreads, Russians will have fewer places to have secure conversations online. Justin Sherman, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025 Picture a proliferating mound that spreads or spills or drapes down and around and is covered with probably a thousand miniature pinkish-white daisies. Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025 Its creamy texture spreads beautifully, the tapered point defines lips effortlessly, and the 12-color shade range is home to nudes, pinks, and reds that flatter a variety of skin tones (something else McGrath is known for nailing). Lily Wohlner, Allure, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
No big credit red flags, though corporate credit spreads are up off their lows in recent weeks and the nagging questions about a couple of private-debt blowups are on repeat. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025 Some Trader Joe’s reviewers recommend pairing them with autumnal spreads, such as pumpkin butter or apple butter. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025 Crunchyroll is giving the full streaming shine to reading manga with ad-free reading, two-page spreads, and personalized lists and recommendations. Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025 Both spreads are modest and both games have weight in the conference race, which in turn scrambles the College Football Playoff outlook. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025 Topping it with butter or sugary spreads will also dull any potential benefits. Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025 Going forward, watch breakeven charts, credit spreads, and fund flows for signals on muni value. Paul Malloy, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025 Traditional spreads include breakfast-like comfort foods such as kugel (noodle pudding), blintzes and baked goods. Krys'tal Griffin, Freep.com, 2 Oct. 2025 No hot water baths or pressure canning, the technique uses modern day refrigerators and freezers to store small batches of homemade jams, condiments and spreads, plus chutneys, pickles, relishes and ketchups. Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spreads
Verb
  • This philosophy applies to business owners seeking to develop managers and leaders within their organizations.
    Joe Boylan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The platform reportedly applies principles borrowed from structural engineering in bridges and skyscrapers and uses a triangular honeycomb structure for superior stability and load distribution.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 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
  • Once embedded, the sensors feed their data to a roadside measurement unit, which stores and transmits the information for analysis.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The choice Task makes to soften Ruffalo’s natural affability and presence in favor of Pelphrey’s Robbie—who transmits anger and despair with palpable, desperate energy—is a fascinating one, requiring humility from one actor and intense commitment from the other.
    Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Environmental Exposures Being around certain chemicals and substances increases the risk of stomach cancer.
    Carrie Madormo, Health, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The weather service offers 7-day forecasting, as uncertainty increases beyond a week out.
    Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Federal prosecutors allege the rest was used by charity leaders for their own personal purchases, including real estate and lavish dinners.
    Claire Wang, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Home refrigerators offered modern freezer compartments, ready to fill with fish sticks, frozen waffles and TV dinners.
    Alice Callahan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Vast expanses of aluminum panels and budget glass, slabs that look like they were drawn with a hacksaw, façades checkered with air conditioners, stretches of dead street frontage—the whole neighborhood looks like a first draft.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 22 Sep. 2025
  • On the northern shore, Sarakiniko serves as a particular highlight thanks to its dramatic appearance, with vast expanses of bone-white rock stretching across its shoreline.
    Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Traveling alone, even short distances, builds confidence and reminds you that your own company is enough to make an experience memorable.
    Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The distances involved are much too great for that.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Understanding how heat propagates in such states may improve models of their evolution and internal structure.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025
  • At the furthest edge of this vision lies a future where entire organizations operate not as hierarchies or even networks but as coherent light fields, where strategic intent propagates through resonance rather than reporting lines.
    Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spreads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spreads. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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