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expend

verb

ex·​pend ik-ˈspend How to pronounce expend (audio)
expended; expending; expends
Synonyms of expendnext

transitive verb

1
: to pay out : spend
… the social services upon which public revenue is expended.J. A. Hobson
2
: to make use of for a specific purpose : utilize
projects on which they expended great energy
also : use up
expender noun

Examples of expend in a Sentence

Are we willing to expend the time and resources required to solve the problem? redecoration will have to wait, since we've just expended our last dollar in buying the house
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The first-stage booster made a successful 21st liftoff, but was expended to get the satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2026 Certainly, no money should be expended on an outside law firm to intimidate board members into the kind of secrecy that no board of education should be promoting. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026 Joel Scata, a senior attorney on the Natural Resources Defense Council's climate adaptation team, said population influences the amount of money FEMA will expend to help a community recover from a disaster. Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 8 Jan. 2026 What Edwards is starting to do on the offensive end looks far easier, and seems to be freeing up energy to expend on the defensive end. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expend

Word History

Etymology

Middle English expenden, exspenden, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French espendre, expendre, borrowed from Latin expendere "to weigh, pay out, disburse," from ex- ex- entry 1 + pendere "to weigh, have a weight of, pay (out), estimate, consider" — more at pendent

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of expend was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Expend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expend. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

expend

verb
ex·​pend ik-ˈspend How to pronounce expend (audio)
1
: to pay out : spend
expend state funds
2
: use up
expend energy

More from Merriam-Webster on expend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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