Synonyms of expend

expend

verb

ik-ˈspend 

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

• spend
• pay
• give
• disburse
• outlay
• lay out
• shell out
• waste
• drop
• fork (over, out, or up)
• lavish
• squander
• dissipate
• rain
• run through
• throw away
• blow
• fritter (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• save
• make
• acquire
• procure
• earn
• realize
• hoard
• gain
• win
• secure
• lay up
• cache
• garner

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

• spend
• consume
• drain
• exhaust
• absorb
• reduce
• deplete
• burn
• use
• eat
• devour
• use up
• decrease
• play out
• waste
• draw down
• run out of
• empty
• diminish
• weaken
• lessen
• downsize
• dwindle
• undermine
• squander
• abate
• bankrupt
• impoverish
• clean (out)
• debilitate
• cripple
• sap
• enfeeble
• disable
• misspend
• guzzle
• dry up
• lower
• blow
• dissipate
• de-escalate
• lavish
• throw away
• run through
• fritter (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• replace
• increase
• renew
• augment
• enforce
• enlarge
• reinforce
• strengthen
• restore
• preserve
• save
• conserve
• repair
• rebuild
• revive
• bolster
• fortify

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of expend

Does that mean the Santa Ana Police Department could potentially bill the federal government for more than half a million dollars for resources expended responding to anti-ICE demonstrations in June 2025? —Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026

Russia is expending ammunition at a high rate, reportedly firing between 10,000 and 15,000 artillery rounds per day. —Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2026

Properly insulated nerve cells are a lot more energy efficient, expending less energy to get signals across. —Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 16 Apr. 2026

If the stalk is left alone, the plant expends energy creating seeds instead of new blooms. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026