expend

verb

ex·​pend ik-ˈspend 

expended; expending; expends

transitive verb

1

: to pay out : spend

the social services upon which public revenue is expended

—J. A. Hobson

2

: to make use of for a specific purpose : utilize

projects on which they expended great energy

also : use up

expender noun

Synonyms

• disburse
• drop
• fork (over, out, or up)
• give
• lay out
• outlay
• pay
• shell out
• spend

Examples of expend in a Sentence

Are we willing to expend the time and resources required to solve the problem?

redecoration will have to wait, since we've just expended our last dollar in buying the house

Recent Examples on the Web

One of those blew up on its landing attempt while another was purposefully expended to get its payload to a higher orbital insertion. —Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Dec. 2024

Trump expended little political capital to try and push Gaetz across the finish line, and the former congressman withdrew from consideration roughly a week after he was first announced. —Brett Samuels, The Hill, 7 Dec. 2024

One way to stretch this out is to ‘perch and stare,’ find a convenient vantage point for the drone to land on so the operator can continue to observe the target area without needing to expend battery power. —David Hambling, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

This macabre task led me to some of the internet's most unscrupulous corners, and required me to expend vast resources—both human and monetary—to source and acquire the means of execution. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin expendere to weigh out, expend, from ex- + pendere to weigh — more at spin

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

expend

verb

ex·​pend ik-ˈspend 

1

: to pay out : spend

expend state funds

2

: use up

expend energy