1
as in pours
to give readily and in large quantities
doting parents lavishing lots of attention on their children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spends
to use up carelessly
a great actor who lavished his talent in lousy movies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lavishes
When Ray lavishes attention on another biker’s pet pillion, Kevin (Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters), Colin sulks until his master unzips his trousers and gives him a treat.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Majumdar lavishes her characters with careful attention, and so the reader comes to regard their most troubling actions as justified, if not inevitable.
—Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025
An ancillary of the brand’s best-selling, ambery-woody eau, each aluminum tube contains a quick-absorbing lotion that lavishes skin with moisture, keeping hands feeling comfortable and cuticles softened with its moisturizing blend of avocado oil, shea butter, plus green tea and chamomile extracts.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Branagh lavishes close-ups on his actors and gives them standout moments in his screenplay, as when Caitriona Balfe, as Ma, goes into a long, impassioned speech about why the family mustn’t leave Belfast.
—Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Nov. 2021
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Majumdar lavishes her characters with careful attention, and so the reader comes to regard their most troubling actions as justified, if not inevitable.
—Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025
An ancillary of the brand’s best-selling, ambery-woody eau, each aluminum tube contains a quick-absorbing lotion that lavishes skin with moisture, keeping hands feeling comfortable and cuticles softened with its moisturizing blend of avocado oil, shea butter, plus green tea and chamomile extracts.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Branagh lavishes close-ups on his actors and gives them standout moments in his screenplay, as when Caitriona Balfe, as Ma, goes into a long, impassioned speech about why the family mustn’t leave Belfast.
—Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Nov. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lavishes
Verb
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The 9-9-9 challenge in Section 139 invites fans to tackle nine slider hot dogs paired with nine 4-ounce beer pours across 9 innings.—
Jasmine Arenas,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The cast’s sole survivor is Jessica Hecht, who pours miraculous warmth and complexity into her faintly insulting role as Colleen, the head teller, a morally upright spinster goosed by her flirtation with Sonny and the spotlight.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Whether or not a school-age child spends their school day on a screen shouldn’t be dependent on where mom or dad can find a job.—
Abby McCloskey,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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Rochester, for example, spends about 250,000 pounds ($330,000) a year on music, a substantial outlay for a provincial cathedral but less than some.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Deb drama is far from over, as the film's director and costar Rebel Wilson heaps new allegations onto the already sizable legal pile.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2026
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When that function collapses and every joke is screened for loyalty, society loses one of its best safeguards against tribal conformity.—
Robert Lynch,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lavishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lavishes. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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