spare 1 of 3

1
as in to scant
to use or give out in stingy amounts I'll have a banana split—and don't spare the whipped cream

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

spare

2 of 3

adjective

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spare

3 of 3

noun

as in backup
an interchangeable part or piece of equipment that is kept on hand for replacement of an original we promptly replaced the burnt-out lightbulb with a spare

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective spare contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of spare are gaunt, lanky, lank, lean, rawboned, scrawny, and skinny. While all these words mean "thin because of an absence of excess flesh," spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

When could gaunt be used to replace spare?

The words gaunt and spare are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

When is lank a more appropriate choice than spare?

The meanings of lank and spare largely overlap; however, lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

When is it sensible to use lanky instead of spare?

In some situations, the words lanky and spare are roughly equivalent. However, lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

When can lean be used instead of spare?

The synonyms lean and spare are sometimes interchangeable, but lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

When would rawboned be a good substitute for spare?

The words rawboned and spare can be used in similar contexts, but rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

How do scrawny and skinny relate to one another, in the sense of spare?

Both scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality.

a scrawny chicken
skinny street urchins

Examples 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 spare
Verb
The Biden administration succeeded Thursday in temporarily blocking Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, accused of being the mastermind behind 9/11, from entering a guilty plea in a deal that would spare him the risk of execution for Al Qaeda’s Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Ellen Knickmeyer and Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025 The president after his Wednesday briefing also revealed Hunter Biden's Los Angeles home appeared to be spared after initial fears it was destroyed by flames in the area. Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
Nelson said both options involve cleaning Martian dust from the tubes on the planet surface instead of on the return vehicle, and using one of the spare arms on the Mars Perseverance rover to transfer the samples to the Sample Retrieval Lander. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 7 Jan. 2025 Some of the delegates were struggling to pay rent in cramped apartments; others owned spacious homes with many spare rooms. Nick Romeo, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
All were replicated for Mescal’s version as the team crafted six replica breastplates: two for Mescal, one for his stunt double, one for a riding double, one for underwater scenes, and a spare. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2024 Use the yellow pair for dishwashing, the orange pair to clean the bathroom, the blue pair to wash the car, and the pink pair as a spare. Hyphensocial Contributors, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spare 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spare
Verb
  • By scanting this complexity, Remnick leaves readers with a less than totally satisfying depiction of Obama's encounter with the world of black Chicago.
    Walter Russell Mead, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2010
  • Trump captured attention his first time around, in part, by talking about issues that other candidates scanted: the threat of China, chaos at the southern border.
    NR Editors, National Review, 22 Dec. 2023
Verb
  • That’s the kind of obscure situation Red Note has saved people out of.
    Yaling Jiang, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025
  • But there’s a catch: Their lending capacity is limited by what members can save.
    Danice Brown Guzmán, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Lower rates would mean NAD’s current leverage would give its price an extra lift.
    Brett Owens, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Moderate impacts mean that interruptions to daily life can be expected and that drivers should use extra caution while traveling.
    Remington Miller, arkansasonline.com, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Strategic owners may focus on growth, angels on early exits and VCs on IPOs, but these can align with careful planning.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
  • But be careful when scrolling, as the answers are at the end of the article.
    John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The faux leather exterior is sleek and practical for this time of year, while the inside has a thin fleece lining to keep you warm.
    Nicol Natale, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025
  • From pencil thin brows to cool-toned smokey eyes, all the cool girls are channeling that iconic vintage supermodel aesthetic.
    Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Harmonizing data within an organization minimizes redundancies, improves data governance, serves as a single source of truth, and makes better use of scarce resources.
    Jan Gilg, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
  • The fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands, forcing many into overcrowded camps with scarce resources.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • He was mostly used as a viable backup but started five of his 74 appearances.
    Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
  • This opened the door for Moore to serve as the backup for Mahomes and make two starts.
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Scarce magazines of Tomahawk missiles can be conserved for the highest-value targets while masses of Barracudas can tackle everything else, and so on.
    David Hambling, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
  • He’s also conserved water by changing his planting patterns, leaving the debris from the prior crop on the soil to limit evaporation.
    Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 16 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near spare

Cite this Entry

“Spare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spare. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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