EXPENDS Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

expends

verb

present tense third-person singular of expend

as in spends

to hand over or use up in payment redecoration will have to wait, since we've just expended our last dollar in buying the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in consumes

to make complete use of settlers had to be sure not to expend their supply of firewood before the end of the long winter

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 expends If the stalk is left alone, the plant expends energy creating seeds instead of new blooms. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026 This spiritual sequel to ‘Frankenstein’ is a romantic tale of obsession, possession and fantasy — adjectives that also apply to its filmmaker, Maggie Gyllenhaal, who expends massive quantities of energy jolting it to life. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026 This upper stage of the rocket kicks in above 62 miles (100 kilometers), once the core stage expends all its propellant. — Marcos Fernandez Tous, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026 The familiarity expends to the animation itself, courtesy of the prolific Titmouse studio. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026 Targeting multiple muscle groups expends calories more efficiently. — Jakob Roze, Health, 5 Feb. 2026 Virtually every cell on every branch of the tree of life expends a hefty chunk of its energy budget — in some cells, more than half — on maintaining a voltage across its membrane. — Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2026 The places facing existential climate risks—especially those in the Deep South—are mostly in states that have long been considered politically uncompetitive, where neither party expends much effort or money to gain votes. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025 China’s apparent surge in missile production comes as the US expends sophisticated defense systems in Ukraine and Israel, causing some ammunition shortages and sparking debate in Washington about how and where to deploy its high-end weapons. — Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for expends

Verb

Also, what would happen to the College Sports Commission, the main NIL enforcement arm that spends the bulk of its time analyzing third-party NIL deals that would be greatly reduced under this arrangement?

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
Each day Mark Beard spends in recovery is a reminder of what could have been.

— Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of spends

Verb

And the human brain only consumes about 20 watts of energy doing that.

— Jackie Snow, IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2026
Every prompt, response, and autonomous agent interaction consumes tokens, and as AI systems become more sophisticated, usage can scale from thousands to millions—or even trillions—of tokens.

— Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 29 July 2026

Definition of consumes

Verb

That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
Watching this scene, and much of the film, exhausts me.

— Jenny Odell, Longreads, 2 June 2026

Definition of exhausts

Verb

The light gel-serum texture glides on and absorbs effortlessly, and the cooling metal rollerball applicator feels incredible on post-procedural skin.

— Audrey Noble, Vogue, 27 July 2026
Warm cake absorbs liquid much better, and this is the step that gives the cake its signature moistness.

— Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 July 2026

Definition of absorbs

Browse Nearby Words

expenditures

expends

expense

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Expends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expends. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of expends

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on expends

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

élan

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes