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
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Recent Examples of spend
From 52 to 55 CE, the apostle Saint Paul spent three years here preaching the Gospel and is said to have brought Mary, the mother of Jesus, here to spend her final days.
—
Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
The studio shelled out $70 million on production costs (the most the arthouse company has ever spent on a film) before accounting for marketing expenses.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 8 Feb. 2026
Vrabel is a former linebacker who spent eight of his 14 NFL seasons with the Patriots.
—Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Essentially, the platform seeks to help shorten the time animals spend away from their families by prioritizing layered visibility rather than relying on a single method.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spend
Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
The studio shelled out $70 million on production costs (the most the arthouse company has ever spent on a film) before accounting for marketing expenses.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 8 Feb. 2026
Vrabel is a former linebacker who spent eight of his 14 NFL seasons with the Patriots.
—Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Essentially, the platform seeks to help shorten the time animals spend away from their families by prioritizing layered visibility rather than relying on a single method.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spend
Verb
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Judges in counties with the program have a list of OFR attorneys who can be contacted and paid through legislative appropriations, rather than through court funds.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
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Anderson paid tribute to the assistant director Adam Somner, who died in 2024 at 57 from thyroid cancer.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Next, consumed by stress, Howell had a heart attack.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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The Liquor Commission voted to amend Heinen’s Class G2 liquor license to allow customers to consume alcoholic beverages on its patio space, which is connected to the market’s cafe area through sliding doors.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When Ali Ansari was 12, living with his family in a single room at his aunt’s house in Woodland Hills, his immigrant mother told him to stop wasting time staring at his phone and try making money with it.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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Remember when the talk was wasting Dan Marino’s career?—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Ishii said the council is focused on filling the five Police Accountability Board vacancies and finding Aguilar’s replacement, finalizing the board’s regulations, giving both oversight entities the necessary tools to succeed and restoring belief in the oversight process.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
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McVay said the team would give the players time to digest the season and decide what might be next.—
Gary Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Drain and reserve about 1/2 cup cooking water, and drain pasta.—
Martha Stewart,
Martha Stewart,
5 Feb. 2026
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The Bulldogs drew up a play for Jake Heidbreder, who calmly drained an open 18-footer on the left baseline at the buzzer and was mobbed by students spilling out of the Save Mart Center stands.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There’s no way to replace all that was lost in less than two weeks, but Smook has been heartened by the support.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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That is the case in this Tuesday night matchup, as the Lakers are on the second night of a back-to-back after losing to the league-best Oklahoma City Thunder, 119-110, on Monday night in Los Angeles.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At some point, those fuel sources will be exhausted, no further energy will be naturally extracted from what remains within them, and those once-brilliant objects will fade away into darkness.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
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On Wednesday, more than 200 repair crews were at work in Kyiv to restore power, according to the Ukrainian Energy Ministry, which said that staff were exhausted and would be rotated.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jim's stock market commentary , market analysis , stock pick breakdowns , and Club Members' Mailbag offer an MBA-caliber finance education that is easy to absorb and apply to your personal investing strategies.—
,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
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Yet its polarizing effect may be the key to its magnetism; even those who dislike it have certainly absorbed some of its fragrant dolorousness into their bones.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spend. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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