1
as in preserved
to use or give out in stingy amounts
I'll have a banana split—and don't spare the whipped cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in saved
to avoid unnecessary waste or expense
she had grown up during the Great Depression, so she was no stranger to sparing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of spared
Bird’s no vote and absence may have spared her attack ads from Evans.
—
Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
The winds spared the shopping district located at Howard and Lexington streets.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026
Spills, crumbs, and grease from splattering casseroles and bubbling pies can make a mess of your oven, and the oven racks aren’t spared from the turmoil.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
Lviv, a city of more than seven hundred thousand people, situated some forty-five miles east of the border with Poland, has been spared the worst of it.
—Michael Holtz, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Unlike catalytic converters, a criminal doesn’t have to lift the vehicle to do the job, and sedans and compacts are spared no more than lifted pickups and SUVs.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 5 Feb. 2026
Had deputies stepped in to stop the killings before Cruz ever made his way upstairs, Jaime’s life may have been spared, the Guttenbergs said.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
That hasn't spared the paper from layoffs.
—Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 4 Feb. 2026
But its nine locations in the Orlando metro area had been spared.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026
Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
The winds spared the shopping district located at Howard and Lexington streets.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026
Spills, crumbs, and grease from splattering casseroles and bubbling pies can make a mess of your oven, and the oven racks aren’t spared from the turmoil.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
Lviv, a city of more than seven hundred thousand people, situated some forty-five miles east of the border with Poland, has been spared the worst of it.
—Michael Holtz, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Unlike catalytic converters, a criminal doesn’t have to lift the vehicle to do the job, and sedans and compacts are spared no more than lifted pickups and SUVs.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 5 Feb. 2026
Had deputies stepped in to stop the killings before Cruz ever made his way upstairs, Jaime’s life may have been spared, the Guttenbergs said.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
That hasn't spared the paper from layoffs.
—Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 4 Feb. 2026
But its nine locations in the Orlando metro area had been spared.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spared
Verb
-
Remnants of six coils of fragile leather thong were also preserved on the shaft.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Even if there were sites that did not get preserved, or were demolished, there were debates over whether that should happen.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But what saved the boys in the end was planning—and a whole lot of daring.—
Emilee Coblentz,
Outside,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The minus-14 defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs, that were the second worst among 31 catchers with at least 600 innings caught.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The eastern shoreline of Tuckertown Reservoir, totaling 2,420 acres and 31 miles of shoreline, was purchased and conserved in 2021.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Jan. 2026
-
It is now being conserved under the supervision of county archaeologist Kristoffer Dahle, Dybvik noted.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spared. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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