SPREADING Synonyms: 170 Similar and Opposite Words

spreading 1 of 2

adjective

as in infectious

exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others spreading enthusiasm that got our club rolling again

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spreading

2 of 2

verb

present participle of spread

as in disseminating

to cause to be known over a considerable area or by many people spread the news!

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in applying

to put a layer of on a surface we spread the fertilizer over the lawn evenly until it was fully covered

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as in circulating

to become known once news of the war's end had spread, spontaneous celebrations broke out everywhere

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as in transmitting

to cause (something) to pass from one to another living conditions that help to spread chicken pox

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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

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as in increasing

to become greater in size, extent, volume, amount, or number dissatisfaction with the new administration is spreading rapidly

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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 spreading

Verb

Early symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, Pennsylvania health officials said, and a rash follows a few days later, starting on the head and spreading downward. — Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026 Three to five days after the start of these symptoms, a red or reddish- brown rash appears, usually starting on a person’s face at the hairline and spreading downward to the entire body. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026 Some could’ve been hot, as the truck near me was spreading gravel with hot smoke coming at me. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026 The species is believed to have escaped from breeding ponds or been released by fishermen as bait in South Florida, and runs the risk of spreading to other communities, Hunter Howell of the University of Miami told Wildlife Society in April. — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026 Getty Images As wildfires sweep Europe and North America, falsehoods about their causes and the nature of climate change are spreading like, well, wildfire. — David Vetter, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Experts believe the virus was spreading in the mining town of Mongbwalu as early as February, months before authorities declared the outbreak on May 15. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026 The treatment also reduced the risk of the cancer spreading to distant parts of the body. — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026 The wildfire started Saturday in Lassen County before spreading into Sierra County and Washoe County, prompting thousands of evacuations north of Reno. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spreading

Adjective

The portable machine uses pulses of full-spectrum ultraviolet light to kill infectious germs inside hospital rooms.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Multiple baby goats at a North Carolina mobile petting zoo had rabies and may have been in direct contact with people at events while infectious, state health officials said Friday.

— Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of infectious

Verb

Internally at the studios, copyright divisions spend their energy targeting larger criminal operations enabling these digital pirates — the hives sharing and disseminating premium content.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Wheeler says teams should support their internal experts in publishing and disseminating their unique perspectives.

— Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of disseminating

Verb

Miami state senators on the list Donalds’ lieutenant governor shortlist, first reported by POLITICO, has been circulating for weeks, and there are a couple Miami lawmakers on the list that would make sense to announce at the Freedom Tower.

— Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
Police also addressed social media posts circulating about who may be responsible for Brooks' disappearance.

— Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of circulating

Verb

Experts expect that the US will soon lose its elimination status, the recognition by the World Health Organization that measles is no longer transmitting regularly within a country.

— Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Furthermore, monitoring an audio signal requires considerably less power than remaining airborne or continuously transmitting video, potentially allowing the drone to remain in position for much longer periods.

— Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of transmitting

Verb

Set within its own natural lagoon on the southernmost tip of the Raa Atoll, the ocean stretches out as far as the eye can see, with hardly a blip separating sea, horizon, and sky.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
A couple years before that, the state began disaggregating data on Asian and Pacific Islanders, by separating Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander groups.

— Sharon Udasin, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of separating

Verb

Qantas said demand for international travel remained strong, with both Qantas and its low-cost carrier Jetstar increasing capacity and unit revenue, although higher fuel costs weighed on international earnings.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
His foundation is aiming to spend $200 billion by 2045 with an increasing focus on AI.

— Reuters, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of increasing

Verb

Instead, Shanahan recommends layering, a method of propagating new plants from a still-living thyme specimen.

— Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 11 Aug. 2026
Mai is propagating more than 170 varieties collected from refugees around the world, helping preserve these precious grains while studying which are best suited to our changing climate.

— Laura Mclively, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026