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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expend
The extensive planning required for coordinated efforts can also be at odds with short-term political cycles, with politicians reluctant to expend political capital and money on projects that will come to fruition after their terms end.
—
Alice Hill, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2025
The mine would expend significant energy between operations, water treatment and the materials that will need to be shipped to the site.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Feb. 2025
According to the council agenda on Aug. 27, the funds, which are required by HUD to be expended in a timely manner, were not being used.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Feb. 2025
Frankly, the coach doesn’t always believe his team is interested in expending its energy in the defensive zone.
—Josh Yohe, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expend
Alice Hill, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2025
The mine would expend significant energy between operations, water treatment and the materials that will need to be shipped to the site.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Feb. 2025
According to the council agenda on Aug. 27, the funds, which are required by HUD to be expended in a timely manner, were not being used.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Feb. 2025
Frankly, the coach doesn’t always believe his team is interested in expending its energy in the defensive zone.
—Josh Yohe, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expend
Verb
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Edman spent much of the winter seemingly pegged to be the club’s everyday center fielder, with a chance to work into the infield mix occasionally.—
Fabian Ardaya,
The Athletic,
3 Mar. 2025
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That tune has now spent 28 frames somewhere on the country ranking, and lands at its all-time peak of No. 13 this time around.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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One in three consumes four or more drinks per week.—
Kristen Mascia,
Parents,
4 Mar. 2025
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Data centers supporting these operations also consume vast amounts of water for cooling purposes, with each inference of 20–50 queries on a large language model using approximately 500 milliliters of water.—
Monica Sanders,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The elementary school would be fully paid for by this state fund, Reinhart told the City Council.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
26 Feb. 2025
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For instance, if your birthdate falls between the 1st and 10th of the month, you are paid on the second Wednesday of the month; between the 11th and 20th, you’re paid on the third Wednesday, and so on, according to the Social Security Administration’s calendar.—
Mike Snider,
USA TODAY,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Fudd then drained her first 3-pointer after an 0-for-2 start, and Strong followed her up with four straight points off another pair of Marquette turnovers.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2025
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That fall and winter, constant power outages and air-raid alerts left them drained and on edge.—
Michael Holtz,
The New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But by 2011, they were exhausted by seven solid years of touring and recording.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
1 Mar. 2025
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Like state government, municipalities also have exhausted most of their emergency federal pandemic aid.—
Jessika Harkay,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Using a wooden spoon, stir well to break up any large clumps, then turn the heat to low, cover, and cook undisturbed until the water is absorbed and the mixture is fluffy, about 3 minutes.—
Meher Mirza,
Saveur,
27 Feb. 2025
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With Banana Plantation, a man is centered within the dense, green leaves of the banana groves, as if he’s being absorbed into the vegetation.—
Emi Eleode,
ARTnews.com,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Expend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expend. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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