spending

verb

present participle of spend
1
as in paying
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
2
as in consuming
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 wasting
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 spending Willy Kurniawan | Reuters Indonesia may have trouble meeting its economic-growth goals for the coming year, after spending 2026 on the defensive amid questions about fiscal outlays and the prospects of a downgrade from MSCI. — Celestine Iyer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026 For now, the Coalition for Prediction Markets is spending a fraction of Kalshi’s direct lobbying expenses. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Bauer’s granddaughter, Amelia Bauer, 33, said birthday plans for her grandma include spending the afternoon outside with neighbors and friends. — Chuck Fieldman, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Looking further backwards at spending patterns paints a clearer image of where spending power lies in the Premier League. — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Zuckerberg’s team confirmed the purchase, saying the family is looking forward to spending time in Ireland, where Meta has its international headquarters. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2026 Google, like Meta, OpenAI, and other tech companies, has been spending billions of dollars developing and deploying artificial intelligence technology. — Sylvia Varnham O’Regan, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026 In order to land an offer after such a highly competitive process, some candidates are reportedly spending more than $4,000 on private coaching to help them get hired. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 That said, the Inn itself is so cocooning that many guests end up spending far more time on the property than originally planned. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spending
  1. paying
  2. consuming
  3. wasting
  4. giving
  5. draining
  6. losing
  7. exhausting
  8. reducing
Verb
  • That income limit is a cliff — earning a dollar over the limit generally means paying the full, unsubsidized premium.
    — Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Elsewhere in New York, Harry Styles was also among the musicians paying tribute to Parton on Wednesday.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of paying
Verb
  • Studies have proven that regularly consuming whole grains has a positive effect on health, reducing certain markers that indicate chronic inflammation.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The cooking process greatly reduces that risk, as does storing the cooked garlic and oil at a temperature below 38° and consuming them within 2 weeks.
    — Jeremy Fox, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of consuming
Verb
  • After scoring the game’s first run in the top of the 10th, the Angels gave up two with two outs in the bottom of the inning, losing to the Texas Rangers, 2-1, on Friday night, once again wasting a scoreless start from Reid Detmers.
    — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Personalize Outreach To Dream Customers Stop wasting your tiny budget trying to scream at a cold, massive audience.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of wasting
Verb
  • YouTube‘s Pedro Pina has doubled down on the case against giving prominence to British broadcasters on digital services.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Autonomous trucking provider Gatik raised $200 million in a Series D funding round, giving the company fresh capital to scale its driverless fleet and expand its middle-mile network as demand for autonomous freight gains momentum.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of giving
Verb
  • Libra September 23 – October 22 The routine that keeps draining you may need a more compassionate rhythm.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The law paved the way for thousands of victims to sue their abusers but has been criticized for draining the coffers of local governments.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • A week after losing 49-35 to Batavia, Maine South came out strong in all three phases of the game.
    — Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The Chiefs continue their preseason losing streak, but as The Star’s Sam McDowell writes, the next one counts.
    — Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of losing
Verb
  • The everyday cost of war Six months of conflict and severe economic hardship have made daily life exhausting for regular Iranians.
    — Greg Myre, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For Cameron, who spent decades exhausting HIV treatment options as his virus developed resistance, among the biggest benefits may be that the two-drug regimen effectively controls his virus while exposing him to fewer medications.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhausting
Verb
  • According to a news release, the program will track attendance and behavioral data with the primary goals being to improve school attendance and student grades while potentially reducing psychiatric hospitalizations.
    — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • That could lower capital and operating costs while reducing safety risks during production.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of reducing

Browse Nearby Words

spenders
spending
spending money
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Cite this Entry

“Spending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spending. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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