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sparing

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verb

present participle of spare

Synonym Chooser

How is the word sparing distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of sparing are economical, frugal, and thrifty. While all these words mean "careful in the use of one's money or resources," sparing stresses abstention and restraint.

sparing in the offering of advice

When might economical be a better fit than sparing?

Although the words economical and sparing have much in common, economical stresses prudent management, lack of wastefulness, and use of things to their best advantage.

an economical health-care plan

When can frugal be used instead of sparing?

In some situations, the words frugal and sparing are roughly equivalent. However, frugal implies absence of luxury and simplicity of lifestyle.

ran a frugal household

Where would thrifty be a reasonable alternative to sparing?

While in some cases nearly identical to sparing, thrifty stresses good management and industry.

thrifty use of nonrenewable resources

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 sparing
Adjective
But the smile is now more sparing, at least on camera. Longreads, 19 Dec. 2024 Mercy for violence, however, remained more sparing. New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sparing
Adjective
  • The only place where cooking your own meals isn’t the most economical option is Southeast Asia, where street food is usually cheaper.
    Matt Kepnes, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Deva Cassel portrays Angelica, a young woman who comes from a modest social and economical background, but raised to become a fine, charismatic and powerful young woman, who will eventually marry into the Prince’s nephew, Tancredi, played by Saul Nanni.
    Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • These concerns underscore the need for careful consideration of privacy rights when deploying such technology.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Why America's business leaders engage in delicate diplomacy Corporate America's careful rhetoric — even as many big companies brace for the impact of the market volatility and the tariffs — illustrates the delicate diplomacy that business leaders are trying to engage in.
    Maria Aspan, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The trend left a lasting impact on Marchand and others in her generation who were left with sparse, barely-there brows.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Prevent seeds from establishing by maintaining a healthy lawn, stop seed germination with pre-emergent herbicides, Maintain a Healthy Lawn Dandelions thrive in thin, sparse lawns and garden beds.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In 1980, voters overwhelmingly chose Reagan’s sunny optimism over Carter’s gloomy warnings about cutting back and conserving.
    Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 30 Dec. 2024
  • Addressing these inefficiencies through sustainable practices, energy-efficient technologies, energy audits and waste-to-energy solutions is crucial to reducing the global carbon footprint, conserving resources, and mitigating the adverse effects of climate change.
    Dianne Plummer, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The new Charlotte Knights’ manager pitched for four MLB teams from 2010 to 2015, recording 30 saves as the closer for the Chicago White Sox in 2011.
    Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 17 Apr. 2025
  • That’s in part thanks to a close collaboration between Stein and Weinstein.
    Leah Abrams, Them., 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Details of who makes up the DOGE staff have been scarce despite the intense media attention on the team's efforts.
    Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
  • As a rule, if rain is scarce, a crepe myrtle needs two to three gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter per week.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • By preserving the full spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes, solventless concentrates offer a richer flavor and potentially more robust effects.
    Matt Rozo, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2025
  • A day—or week—of being surrounded by flowering, textural plants while doing good for the future by preserving the past provides lasting benefits and more fragrant spaces for all.
    Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The figure is roughly life-size, rendered in spare, firm strokes of black acrylic applied with Japanese brushes to sizable sheets of paper.
    Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
  • With his spare cash, Younge began acquiring instruments — a Fender Rhodes piano, a bass guitar, drum set, guitar — and teaching himself to use them by copying the riffs sampled in his favorite songs.
    Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sparing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sparing. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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