1
as in to pay
to hand over or use up in payment
I always end up spending too much money at the mall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to consume
to make complete use of
the town has already spent its budget for snow removal, and it's only January
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to waste
to use up carelessly
spent all his energy on impractical schemes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spend
Yet instead of addressing those urgent challenges, state leaders have chosen to spend time and taxpayer dollars engineering political advantage.
—
Jon Harris Maurer, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
Disney’s 20th Century Studios spent lavishly on the sequel, which was produced for roughly $100 million, not including the worldwide marketing budget.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 3 May 2026
Anyone who has spent time in government understands that debate and disagreement are inherent to the process.
—John Herbst, Sun Sentinel, 3 May 2026
The data shows that black and brown people spend much longer time in longer lines, purging people- people literally showing up and not knowing that their names have been purged from the rolls.
—CBS News, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for spend
Jon Harris Maurer, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
Disney’s 20th Century Studios spent lavishly on the sequel, which was produced for roughly $100 million, not including the worldwide marketing budget.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 3 May 2026
Anyone who has spent time in government understands that debate and disagreement are inherent to the process.
—John Herbst, Sun Sentinel, 3 May 2026
The data shows that black and brown people spend much longer time in longer lines, purging people- people literally showing up and not knowing that their names have been purged from the rolls.
—CBS News, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for spend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spend
Verb
-
The fine points of class-action law were, of course, less influential than Crenshaw’s insistence on paying close attention to the way Black women were treated by the courts, and the essay’s most memorable lines were broader categorical claims.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Americans are paying more for food, fuel, housing, and healthcare, while government grows larger, less accountable, and less competent.—
Kevin Fixler
May 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 May 2026
Verb
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According to the World Instant Noodles Association, Americans consumed over 5 billion servings of instant noodles in 2024.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 May 2026
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The closest institutional precedent is the International Energy Agency itself, founded in 1974 explicitly as a consuming-nations counterweight to OPEC.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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That season, the Lightning wasted an opportunity to take a series lead at home, then had to win in Calgary in Game 6 to force a Game 7 in Tampa.—
Eduardo A. Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
Another leadoff single was wasted the next inning, as Bailey’s was followed by an Ramos’ double-play groundout to McClanahan.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The casting has always managed to feel diverse, but in a guileless, incidental way, giving the appearance of multicultural inclusion without espousing any explicitly progressive viewpoints.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Inning-ending calls have been overturned, giving hitters another opportunity that, in some cases, has led to game-changing home runs.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Weighing in at 710 tons, the sculpture was built to circulate 30,000 gallons of water but has been drained since 2024 in order to have its inner workings assessed.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
7 May 2026
-
Her own growth hasn’t just been paused by the demands of caring for a sick child, it’s been drained by the constant mental load that comes with it.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Educators were fired for making insensitive comments about him on their personal social-media accounts; a firefighter in Toledo lost his job for posting a derisive eulogy on Facebook; various airline employees were suspended for disparaging Kirk online.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
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Gray added that both players agreed to lose the game in exchange for $10,000 to $15,000 in payments each.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The starting quarterback competition is coming down to returning players Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall, as Jalon Daniels has exhausted his eligibility and Rice transfer Chase Jenkins recovers from an injury.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
6 May 2026
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Diplomacy, economic pressure, and international cooperation should always be exhausted first.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Carbon nanotubes are conductive, meaning electricity and heat can move through them, and both types of nanotubes absorb and reflect electromagnetic waves.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
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The floor absorbs sound, and the only light shone from a hole at the top of the tent.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spend. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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