expend

verb

ex·​pend ik-ˈspend How to pronounce expend (audio)
expended; expending; expends
Synonyms of expend

transitive verb

1
: to pay out : spend
… the social services upon which public revenue is expended.—J. A. Hobson
2
: to make use of for a specific purpose : utilize
projects on which they expended great energy
also : use up
expender noun

Synonyms of expend

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Examples of expend in a Sentence

Are we willing to expend the time and resources required to solve the problem? redecoration will have to wait, since we've just expended our last dollar in buying the house
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The result is a collection of novels that, while intermittently electrifying, expend an incredible quantity of words on the semiotics of TV marketing and the ethics of selling out. — Robert Rubsam, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026 Your Metabolic Health Can Worsen Less movement also means fewer opportunities for the body to expend energy through muscle activity. — Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 2 Sep. 2026 Charismatic leaders expend energy to attract attention, using animation, vocal variation, facial expression and movement. — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 The whole United States was ordered by the president to expend resources to celebrate the Navajo Code Talkers. — Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expend

Word History

Etymology

Middle English expenden, exspenden, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French espendre, expendre, borrowed from Latin expendere "to weigh, pay out, disburse," from ex- ex- entry 1 + pendere "to weigh, have a weight of, pay (out), estimate, consider" — more at pendent entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of expend was in the 15th century

Rhymes for expend

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Browse Nearby Words

expeller man
expend
expendability
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Cite this Entry

“Expend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expend. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

expend

verb
ex·​pend ik-ˈspend How to pronounce expend (audio)
1
: to pay out : spend
expend state funds
2
: use up
expend energy
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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