SPENDING Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

spending

verb

present participle of spend

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

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

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 Originally from Mexico, Casillas immigrated to the United States at age 20 and has now been here for 50 years, spending decades building relationships within the community. — Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026 Later, after Nicole and her mother moved to other parts of the city, Nicole began spending time in Kensington, and Diane eventually moved there to be near her, Halloran-Koren said. — Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026 Since then, she's applied for dozens of positions, spending hours on each one, tailoring her resume to the specific job requirements. — Scott Horsley, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026 United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with AIPAC, disclosed an initial $94,000 expenditure against El-Sayed on Friday, after spending nearly $30 million to oppose him in the Democratic primary. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the pro-Israel group AIPAC, disclosed an initial $94,000 expenditure against El-Sayed on Friday, after spending nearly $30 million to oppose him in the Democratic primary. — Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 The result is a country spending heavily to sustain its public institutions while struggling to deliver the services citizens expect and a political system increasingly consumed by conflict over how to fix them. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 In the employer market, more recent data suggest the volumes of prescriptions — which are proprietary — are driving up spending more than prices, although prices are still a factor. — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026 Born and raised in Flushing, Queens, to a Chinese family, Liu developed an early interest in beauty, recalling spending hours painting her nails after school. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spending

Verb

Among the most intriguing possibilities, Brouhard said, is that Gulf nations exporting oil are surreptitiously paying Iran fees in exchange for safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz – even as they’re secured by US military escorts.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
The pay-as-you-go option is perfectly timed for Grand Theft Auto VI, allowing those who don’t own an Xbox, or who primarily play from a phone, to stream the game by paying for a bundle of hours.

— Tom Warren, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of paying

Verb

Street style became a bridge between the industry and the culture consuming it, capturing a moment when fashion felt especially connected to the people and communities shaping what came next.

— Alex Badia, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
What began as a rebellion against broken classrooms has become a test of whether France can reconcile its costly promises with its financial reality before the divisions consuming its schools deepen further.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of consuming

Verb

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said on Thursday that Republicans were wasting money by targeting two House seats held by vulnerable Democrats in the state of New York.

— Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026
Identifying the cause of your hair loss first is what keeps you from wasting money on the wrong product, according to Kazlouskaya.

— Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of wasting

Verb

There, local fishermen demonstrated their sustainable crayfish harvesting process, and as a spectacular touch, the helicopter lifted one of the crayfish tanks straight out of the ocean, giving our client a dramatic view of the abundant catch.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
The other group is a little more spread out, giving more opportunity.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of giving

Verb

Oak Lawn Mayor Terry Vorderer previously said investigating video gambling terminal thefts was draining village resources.

— Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Under President Joe Biden, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered Tel*Link to pay $3 million for illegally freezing and draining funds from incarcerated people’s accounts.

— Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of draining

Verb

In one instance, McGregor pressured the City Council into revoking support for the controversial Interstate 77 South toll lanes project at the threat of losing the caucus’ endorsement, according to multiple council members.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2026
Flávio is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year and three-month sentence under house arrest for plotting a coup d’état after losing the 2022 presidential election.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of losing

Verb

The gentle squeeze around your legs provides other surprising health benefits on exhausting travel days.

— Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2026
Commanders should seek positional advantages without exhausting their soldiers, manipulate the enemy’s movements when possible, and recognize when circumstances make pursuit or attack unwise.

— Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of exhausting

Verb

Recently, the sector has been affected by El Nino, which brings weak monsoons and dry weather, reducing yields and sucrose recovery.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Other options include reducing the level of your contributions, although there is a minimum of 5% of pay for employees and 3% for employers.

— Marc Shoffman, TheWeek, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of reducing

Browse Nearby Words

spenders

spending

spending money

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Style

“Spending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spending. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of spending

verb

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