expend

verb

ik-ˈspend How to pronounce expend (audio)
Definition of expendnext
1
as in to spend
to hand over or use up in payment redecoration will have to wait, since we've just expended our last dollar in buying the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to consume
to make complete use of settlers had to be sure not to expend their supply of firewood before the end of the long winter

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 expend 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 Without adequate sunlight, photosynthesis slows, causing the tree to expend energy stretching its branches toward the light instead of producing fruit. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 21 Aug. 2026 Charismatic leaders expend energy to attract attention, using animation, vocal variation, facial expression and movement. — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expend
  1. spend
  2. consume
  3. pay
  4. drain
  5. exhaust
  6. absorb
Verb
  • The frontman said he was humbled by the action and was touched to spend time with members of the Minneapolis community who worked on the front lines during the ICE surge.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI, for example, expects to spend more than $25 billion on training alone this year.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of spend
Verb
  • Contemplation of this tax — which produced $384 million in the last fiscal year — has consumed endless hours of work from some of the county’s most respected leaders, and drawn earnest public testimony from dozens of people.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • So much about our elections is being decided now by people who are actively trying not to consume political news.
    — Jacob Brogan, Vox, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of consume
Verb
  • What began as a few purists chasing a vibe became an ingredient an entire industry pays extra for.
    — Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The data showed that principals often earn from $158,000 to $186,000 per year, while assistant principals were generally paid $150,000 to $179,000.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of pay
Verb
  • Be sure to drain the olives, mushrooms, and use a thick pizza sauce to avoid a watery dip.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Eating triggers saliva production, but a stone can keep the saliva from draining, causing the gland to swell.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of drain
Verb
  • Fans care about rivalries among teams made up of students who generally progress through college and exhaust their eligibility alongside their classmates, rather than athletes whose college careers extend well beyond the traditional timeline.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Across a vast and punishing Atlantic, the voyage exhausted the patience of its crew, but never the conviction of its captain.
    — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhaust
Verb
  • The cuts to public benefits arrive at a time where populations in the state are less likely to be able to absorb the impact.
    — P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Clinically tested in a 16-week study, the fast-absorbing cream has stats to back up its benefits.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of absorb

Browse Nearby Words

expels
expend
expended
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Expend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expend. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All