1
as in taints
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
too much coddling will spoil the child
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposes
to go through decomposition
the meat has spoiled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damages
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
know when to stop, for an unnecessary brushstroke can spoil a painted portrait
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in indulges
to treat with great or excessive care
when they were newlyweds, the wife tended to spoil her husband, but she soon got over that
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 spoils
G'ra Asim
september 16, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2025
Drescher had intended the fund to be a means of distributing the spoils of the streaming era among a large group of union members, as THR reported at the time.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
The music industry – any field in entertainment, actually – can be fraught with exciting parties, events, and the spoils that come with hitting it big, but all of these things have spelled the downfall for too many talented artists.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, The Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
They are also engaged in constant bickering over the spoils of illicit trade and corruption.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
So Wednesday is in one sense part of the spoils of victory, the rewards for beating Manchester United in that famous final.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2025
Along the way, commentators have scuttled important details, understating or overstating the movement's potential spoils and perils.
—Jerel Ezell, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Deathstalker, here a rogue warrior living off the spoils recovered in the wake of Dreadite attacks, takes a cursed amulet from a dead Prince on a battlefield.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2025
This post spoils the entirety of My Life With the Walter Boys Season 2, specifically the finale.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
The Dolphins quarterback leaves undefeated, as the defense spoils Mike Vrabel’s first trip to Hard Rock Stadium as New England’s head coach.
—Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2025
Noun
The image of your mother being too sleepy to enjoy the spoils of her own hard work—or to even be fully present as her children enjoyed those spoils—struck me as such a succinct encapsulation of her sacrifice and her heroism, as well as their drawbacks.
—G'ra Asim
september 16, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2025
Drescher had intended the fund to be a means of distributing the spoils of the streaming era among a large group of union members, as THR reported at the time.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
The music industry – any field in entertainment, actually – can be fraught with exciting parties, events, and the spoils that come with hitting it big, but all of these things have spelled the downfall for too many talented artists.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, The Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
They are also engaged in constant bickering over the spoils of illicit trade and corruption.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
So Wednesday is in one sense part of the spoils of victory, the rewards for beating Manchester United in that famous final.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2025
Along the way, commentators have scuttled important details, understating or overstating the movement's potential spoils and perils.
—Jerel Ezell, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Deathstalker, here a rogue warrior living off the spoils recovered in the wake of Dreadite attacks, takes a cursed amulet from a dead Prince on a battlefield.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
Farmers don’t typically grow pawpaws because the raw fruit spoils easily and is difficult to ship, according to the Kansas State University Extension Office.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2025
This post spoils the entirety of My Life With the Walter Boys Season 2, specifically the finale.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
The Dolphins quarterback leaves undefeated, as the defense spoils Mike Vrabel’s first trip to Hard Rock Stadium as New England’s head coach.
—Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoils
Verb
-
When leaves fall to the ground, the carbon stays in these leaves, breaks down, and decomposes and releases nutrients back into the soil that plants can take in.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The calculation, called the Fourier transform, decomposes any function into its parts.—
Shalma Wegsman,
Quanta Magazine,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Chronic financial stress raises cortisol levels, which, over time, damages the immune system, increases risk for hypertension and heart disease and worsens mental health.—
Dr. Melissa Weathersby,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
In particular, a significant amount of rubble is visible in the streets of Jabalya and Sheikh Radwan, apparently caused by direct fire that damages the sides of buildings without appearing on satellite imagery.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The falling soufflé as a symbol of the crumbling hotel is the kind of heavy-handed touch Solnicki rarely indulges.—
Caryn James,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Aug. 2025
-
So much eye-candy value is maximized by David Schuurman’s widescreen photography, which frequently indulges us further with sweeping drone’s-eye views of spectacular landscapes.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
If Britain continues down the path of criminalizing thought and prayer, the alliance risks being reduced to polite diplomacy while its moral core rots away.—
Lois McLatchie Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Automobility directly or indirectly causes one in 34 deaths annually, injures more than 100 million people a year, and has killed as many people as the two World Wars combined.—
Henrietta Moore,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
-
If a dog that has not been officially declared dangerous severely injures or kills a person when unprovoked, authorities may confiscate the dog, and the dog’s owner is liable for the incident.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Sports events, social outings, movies, the theater, fun get-togethers, playful activities with kids – do whatever pleases you and brings you joy.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Objetos De Arte For handicrafts and decorative objects, head to Casa Chiqui, a boutique packed with treasures from founder Chiqui de Echavarría’s travels.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Take the quiz here … RUINED SPLENDOR – Ancient estate tied to group in Bible unearthed with 'fascinating' treasures in Israel.—
,
FOXNews.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Deadly holiday weekend mars broad crime drop The back-and-forth followed a Labor Day weekend of deadly violence in Chicago worse than in the previous two years, with seven people shot to death, according to preliminary Chicago Police Department reports.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Valuing a project at cost of production rather than value in an arm’s length sale—common in all economic statistics—especially mars Chinese data.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spoils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoils. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share