1
as in to pay
to hand over or use up in payment
I always end up spending too much money at the mall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to consume
to make complete use of
the town has already spent its budget for snow removal, and it's only January
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to waste
to use up carelessly
spent all his energy on impractical schemes
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 spend
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a surge in gas and electricity prices, forcing governments across Europe to spend more than €600 billion on subsidies.
—
Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
According to court records, Graham spent his mother’s money on himself, including to pay for his Amex credit-card debt, artwork, travel and rent at the One Thousand Museum Tower at 1000 Biscayne Blvd.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
The protagonist in We Dance Upon Demons is not unlike Patel, an Indian American woman who's spent much of her career working to protect reproductive rights.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
According to the media measurement firm iSpot.tv, the pharmaceutical industry will spend $5 billion-plus on national linear TV advertising this year.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spend
Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
According to court records, Graham spent his mother’s money on himself, including to pay for his Amex credit-card debt, artwork, travel and rent at the One Thousand Museum Tower at 1000 Biscayne Blvd.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
The protagonist in We Dance Upon Demons is not unlike Patel, an Indian American woman who's spent much of her career working to protect reproductive rights.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
According to the media measurement firm iSpot.tv, the pharmaceutical industry will spend $5 billion-plus on national linear TV advertising this year.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spend
Verb
-
In 2022, things came to a head when the company not only failed to pay its vendors but also ceased communication with their customers.—
Amanda Lauren,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The buyers also agree to pay those growers a small premium that is passed down to their workers.—
Max Blau,
ProPublica,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Participants in the study who often consumed chilis also had a 34 percent lower chance of dying of cardiovascular disease.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
But his own research found that the countries with the lowest fracture rates are actually those that consume the least milk.—
Alana Semuels,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Red Sox went in order in the sixth, and wasted Trevor Story’s two-out single in the seventh and Nick Sogard’s two-out walk in the eighth.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
17 Sep. 2025
-
So although he was drafted last summer and made his professional debut this spring, the Blue Jays decided there was no reason to keep wasting his filth in games that don't count.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Since applicants go through the renewal process every two years, immigration experts say that those with active status have already been screened by the government and given protection from deportation.—
Armando Garcia,
ABC News,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The app gives owners the option to connect with the owners of their canine's relative, to exchange information about their pets or schedule a playdate.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That change could flood the program with claims, rapidly drain it, and give manufacturers another reason to pull away from making vaccines.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Some clogs may be visible from the top of your drain that will also indicate a slow-draining sink.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Instead of following that plan, Artamonov put investor money into risky short-term options, losing millions of dollars, often within days of receiving the money from investors, the indictment said.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The Phillies can't afford to lose him to another team this winter, no matter the price.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Texans were up 28-21, and Keller had exhausted all of its timeouts.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Lula was imprisoned in 2018, but he was released in November 2019 after the Supreme Court ruled that defendants can’t be jailed before exhausting appeal options.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Bader’s formulation avoids this problem by using ascorbyl glucoside, a water-soluble derivative that stays intact in the bottle, then converts into active Vitamin C once absorbed.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Other fruit juices, including apple and citrus ones like orange, may also affect how your body absorbs and processes certain blood pressure medications, said David Maron, MD, a cardiologist with the Preventive Cardiology Clinic at Stanford Medicine.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Health,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spend. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share