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
as in to expand
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area
let's spread the puzzle out on the floor and see what we've got
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 spread
Casey Cep, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Blame would eventually be spread far and wide, but absolute accountability proved complex and elusive.
—Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025
The collection included raspberry spread, limited-edition wildflower honey with honeycomb, herbal tea assortment, crepe mix, shortbread cookie mix with flower sprinkles, and flower sprinkles.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spread
Verb
Word of mouth might have been enough for Jesus, but Minnie was relentless in promoting her daughter’s ministry, and McPherson herself embraced one medium after another for spreading her message.
—Casey Cep, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Blame would eventually be spread far and wide, but absolute accountability proved complex and elusive.
—Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
In an interview with Fox Business on Wednesday, Dimon said rising interest rates, sticky inflation, and widening credit spreads are setting the stage for a wave of financial strain among U.S. companies.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025
The collection included raspberry spread, limited-edition wildflower honey with honeycomb, herbal tea assortment, crepe mix, shortbread cookie mix with flower sprinkles, and flower sprinkles.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spread
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spread
Noun
-
Bedding Deals Swap heavy bedding for lightweight, cooling quilts, sheets, and gel fiber bed pillows to avoid overheating at night.—
Ali Faccenda,
People.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
An employee walks past a quilt displaying Etsy Inc. signage at the company’s headquarters in the Brooklyn.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Choose from fluid midi skirts, like Tory Burch’s deconstructed option or Ulla Johnson’s perfectly polished A-line style, which can go from the office to a dinner out, in seconds flat.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Shapiro and his family were woken up by bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police and had to evacuate their mansion just hours after hosting a Passover dinner.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The funds will be used to bankroll the expansion of the flagship FPSO business as well as a growing green energy portfolio under Yinson Renewables, a subsidiary that has solar and wind power projects in multiple countries.—
Jonathan Burgos,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Such levels of import duties are expected to dent China’s exports and knock several percentage points off the economy’s expansion this year.—
Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
On the other end of the spectrum, those who majored in education earn less than a 6% median ROI.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
18 Apr. 2025
-
On one end of the spectrum, institutional investors are dismayed at the company’s pullback from its ambitious climate targets.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Maintain a safe distance from water, wet items, and metal objects.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2025
-
The lake is nine feet deep at a 35-foot distance from the shoreline, according to the university.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The genius of the banquet sequence is that, even if the festivities do mark a collective release of tension, as Lee the bit player notes, Lee the director insures that the pressure never stops building.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Chaos ensues when Min’s formidable grandmother (Yuh-jung Youn) makes the trek from Korea to throw her grandson a wedding banquet.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
From colorful stripes to designs on the expanse of the nail, the simple base can offer variations according to current trends.—
Jeanne Ballion,
Vogue,
12 Apr. 2025
-
The Keep is just that good, despite being laid out on a rocky expanse of land that Bergin, who has been involved in more than 100 course projects, says wasn’t exactly made for golf.—
Erik Matuszewski,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Now Trump is once again withdrawing the U.S. After Francis' 2015 encyclical, researchers examined a broad range of views, well beyond the President.—
Jeff Brady,
NPR,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Periods of mourning range from three days (Chile, Dominican Republic, Lebanon and Spain) up to nine days, which is the traditional period of mourning at the Vatican, known as Novemdiales, during which daily masses and ceremonies are being held in memory of the pope.—
Morgan Winsor,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spread.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spread. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share