SPEND Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

spend

verb

ˈspend

Definition of spend

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 Edwards, a former standout running back at Michigan, spent much of last season on Washington’s practice squad. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026 Today, an 8-day mission may seem quaint, given that astronauts and cosmonauts have spent over a year in space. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2026 North Dakota State has spent more than a decade as the standard in FCS football. — Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Strong spent last season on Green Bay’s practice squad but has 499 career yards rushing. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spend

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spend

Verb

Swift also paid tribute to Parton’s prolific and breathtaking body of work and her philanthropic efforts across the globe.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Connie Britton paid tribute to Dolly Parton, less than two weeks after the loss of her Nashville costar Hayden Panettiere.

— Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of pay

Verb

Participants are each given half a watermelon to eat in a specified time period, and they must be consumed down to the rind.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
That figure assumes the vehicle consumes 100 watt-hours per mile and its solar panels deliver at least four kWh of usable energy to the battery during the day.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of consume

Verb

The next milestone will be moving beyond individual production lines and demonstrating that waste plastic-to-SAF systems can operate reliably, economically and at a scale to become a meaningful source of aviation fuel.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
The Dodgers dropped another one-run heartbreaker in Detroit, wasting Blake Snell’s five innings of one-run baseball as the Tigers walked off with a 2-1 win.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of waste

Verb

Suggest the plan, capture the takeaways, and give everyone one clear action.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
Utilizing quick, short passes, Hayes completed 14 of his first 16 attempts, including a 26-yard touchdown strike to sophomore tight end Ian Figi that gave Naperville Central a 14-0 lead.

— Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of give

Verb

In your audit, emergency reserves are separated from non-retirement assets because they should not ever be drained unless there is an emergency.

— Cicely Jones, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Then, crews from the Urban Search and Rescue team worked with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to drain the tank and help save the remaining bears from drowning, officials said.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

After the launch of the iPhone in 2007 transformed the smartphone industry, BlackBerry fought hard to keep its consumer mobile division alive with new devices — but ultimately lost the battle.

— Arjun Kharpal,Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
How did Bi work for Bryan for any length of time without absolutely losing his mind?

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of lose

Verb

Your eyes will thank you College students often fall asleep without removing their contacts, especially when exhausted from late-night studying or over-intoxicated from partying.

— Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Qualifying members who exhaust their income protection will now be covered up until May 1, 2028, Gee said.

— Jackie Charniga, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

Heating rice briefly in butter or oil before adding water or broth helps develop a subtle nutty flavor, while also improving how the grains cook and absorb liquid.

— Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2026
Consider how much your payment could increase and whether your budget could comfortably absorb the difference.

— Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of absorb

Browse Nearby Words

spences

spend

spender

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Cite this Entry

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“Spend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spend. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of spend

verb

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