1
as in to disseminate
to cause to be known over a considerable area or by many people
spread the news!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to apply
to put a layer of on a surface
we spread the fertilizer over the lawn evenly until it was fully covered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to circulate
to become known
once news of the war's end had spread, spontaneous celebrations broke out everywhere
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to transmit
to cause (something) to pass from one to another
living conditions that help to spread chicken pox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to divide
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
as in to increase
to become greater in size, extent, volume, amount, or number
dissatisfaction with the new administration is spreading rapidly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in quilt
a decorative cloth used as a top covering for a bed
bought a brightly colored spread for summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in dinner
a large fancy meal often accompanied by ceremony or entertainment
they really know how to put out a good spread
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in expansion
a wide space or area
a vast spread of land just waiting to be settled
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
5
as in distance
the space or amount of space between two points, lines, surfaces, or objects
a spread of nearly 100 miles between farms
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 spread
Gloria Pazmino, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
With these conditions, wildfires could spread very quickly.
—Max Golembo, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2024
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Dec. 2024
Wastewater surveillance can also indicate the level of viral spread.
—Abby Norman, Verywell Health, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spread 
Verb
Several minutes of the chokehold were captured on bystander video that spread widely and has been played repeatedly in court during the trial.
—Gloria Pazmino, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
With these conditions, wildfires could spread very quickly.
—Max Golembo, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
Both of these sterilization techniques effectively kill pathogens on your tools and will help prevent the spread of plant diseases next spring.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Dec. 2024
Wastewater surveillance can also indicate the level of viral spread.
—Abby Norman, Verywell Health, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spread
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spread
Verb
-
All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium.Todd Gordon, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2024
-
On Monday, police credited news outlets for disseminating the images and the tipster for recognizing the suspect and calling authorities.Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
While the requirement to stay in character was applied externally—in some cases by media attempts to entrap Santas with the suggestion of inappropriate behavior—the men Hancock interviewed described feeling their own commitment.Laura Clawson, JSTOR Daily, 15 Dec. 2024
-
Office Christmas party Monster truck rally commercial style gets applied to the tropes of the corporate holiday party.Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 15 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Though a draft strategy is circulating, the Coast Guard would not make the document available for review.Craig Hooper, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
-
The canard that the Jan. 6 riot was actually an FBI setup and was driven on by undercover agents has been circulating since the days after the attack.Will Carless, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
At tropical destinations or areas with high rates of illnesses transmitted by mosquitos, use insect repellent and consider mosquito nets, Robinson says.Gary Stoller, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
-
Larger storage space means more data can be stored, transmitted and processed, which enhances the performance of AI applications as the large language models (LLM) enable them to have more parameters to train on.Wayne Chang, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
And the House Democratic caucus has been divided over whether to touch the minimum wage and paid sick leave laws.Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 14 Dec. 2024
-
During that period — divided into June 6-8 and June 28-30 — the scientists found a 9.4-fold and 7.4-fold surge, respectively, in fine particulate matter pollution levels, in comparison to all other days in 2023.Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
By all measures, the company exceeded all expectations thanks to customer participation and decided to significantly increase the initial pledge to $11 million.Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
-
The presence of dogs may also increase levels of distraction and stress for other, non-dog-toting employees.Jessica Pierce, TIME, 15 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The movie is constructed like a visual scrap quilt made in a meticulous and orderly fashion, sometimes focusing on Elwood's life in the '60s and other times flashing forward to the near-present day.Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
-
Featuring knit and crochet items, baby quilts, floral arrangements, jewelry and wooden crafts.Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
And with a gourmet restaurant for dinner, an on-site brasserie for lunch, spa and world-class bar, there’s little reason to leave the hotel’s grounds.Michael Venutolo-Mantovani, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Dec. 2024
-
For dinner, patrons can tuck into duck wings, smoked negronis and pastas in the airy dining room.Anna Spiegel, Axios, 11 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to spread
Thesaurus Entries Near spread
Cite this Entry
“Spread.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spread. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share