as in infectious
exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others
spreading enthusiasm that got our club rolling again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in disseminating
to cause to be known over a considerable area or by many people
spread the news!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in applying
to put a layer of on a surface
we spread the fertilizer over the lawn evenly until it was fully covered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in circulating
to become known
once news of the war's end had spread, spontaneous celebrations broke out everywhere
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in transmitting
to cause (something) to pass from one to another
living conditions that help to spread chicken pox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in separating
to go or move in different directions from a central point
the walls of the old barn spread under the weight of the snow on the roof
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in increasing
to become greater in size, extent, volume, amount, or number
dissatisfaction with the new administration is spreading rapidly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of spreading
Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026
Hantavirus misinformation is spreading fast.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 15 May 2026
The same pattern is now spreading beyond Ukraine.
—David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
So when rumors began spreading Sunday inside Centre Hospitalier de Fontaine, a family-run hospital inside the slum, that armed gangs were advancing toward the facility, there was only one thing left to do as panic swept through.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The spreading clusters of long-lasting, vibrant, nectar-rich blooms are ideal for pollinator gardens.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 14 May 2026
But a few weeks into his vacation across the Atlantic Ocean, the Oregon doctor jumped into action caring for passengers after a deadly hantavirus outbreak began spreading through the ship, sickening the vessel’s doctor.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
In spreading the wealth to a wider swath of hardware companies, investors are clearly betting that the bull market in AI has long legs and that data centers are going to need a wider array of advanced components for years to come.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 8 May 2026
Closing doors isolates fire and prevents smoke, heat and flames from spreading, officials said.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
Verb
Even minor sparks or drifting embers can incite nearby foliage or grass, setting off a rapidly spreading fire.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026
Hantavirus misinformation is spreading fast.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 15 May 2026
The same pattern is now spreading beyond Ukraine.
—David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
So when rumors began spreading Sunday inside Centre Hospitalier de Fontaine, a family-run hospital inside the slum, that armed gangs were advancing toward the facility, there was only one thing left to do as panic swept through.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The spreading clusters of long-lasting, vibrant, nectar-rich blooms are ideal for pollinator gardens.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 14 May 2026
But a few weeks into his vacation across the Atlantic Ocean, the Oregon doctor jumped into action caring for passengers after a deadly hantavirus outbreak began spreading through the ship, sickening the vessel’s doctor.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
In spreading the wealth to a wider swath of hardware companies, investors are clearly betting that the bull market in AI has long legs and that data centers are going to need a wider array of advanced components for years to come.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 8 May 2026
Closing doors isolates fire and prevents smoke, heat and flames from spreading, officials said.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spreading
Adjective
-
Travolta’s infectious enthusiasm carried over into the movie itself, a semi-autobiographical trifle about his childhood love of air travel.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
-
His humor, and especially his laugh, was infectious.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Apkarian found that the ads, which have been on the airwaves for more than 20 years, violated California’s false advertising law by disseminating public statements about the disposal of property — specifically vehicle donations — that were misleading by omission.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
-
Hamas was filming the crimes as they were being committed and disseminating footage online.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Some portion of eligible people are probably discouraged from applying at all, believing the lottery system to be rigged or pointless.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
And if the cabinet grandfathers only the HS classes of 2024 and 2025 while applying the new rule to 2026 graduates, an entire cohort gets jammed onto the same clock as players one and two years older—a cliff disguised as a transition.—
Daryl G. Jones,
Sportico.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Measles quickly started circulating beyond Mennonites.—
Mary Beth Sheridan,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
-
Video circulating on social media showed two fighter jets colliding midair before spinning toward the ground in a fiery crash amid black plumes of smoke.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Two of those simulators will conduct imaging operations focused on Starship’s heat shield, transmitting data and photographs back to mission control.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
After the rescue’s financier admitted that the tracker wasn’t working as planned, but was transmitting the whale’s vital signs, a marine biologist said that no GPS trackers existed which transmitted such data.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The event has been criticized as promoting Christian nationalism and obscuring the lines separating church and state.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
17 May 2026
-
The nation’s tradition of separating church and state, however, was not on display.—
Tiffany Stanley,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
James Ward During the debate, Republican candidate Steve Hilton said that only a small percentage of California has been developed for housing, arguing that the state should focus on building homes on undeveloped land rather than increasing density in existing cities.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
Doing so compresses the light reflected from the plasma, thereby increasing its intensity.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Fascism, then and now, is masterful at propagating and reinforcing its ideas through an aesthetic that captivates a large number of people.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Avoid propagating plants that are actively flowering.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spreading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spreading. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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