1
as in economical
careful in the management of money or resources
a sparing couple who are trying to save up enough for a house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in careful
giving or sharing as little as possible
a government agency that has always been sparing of public information
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sparse
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
unfortunately, the explanation of the health insurance plan was somewhat sparing on details
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in conserving
to use or give out in stingy amounts
I'll have a banana split—and don't spare the whipped cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in saving
to avoid unnecessary waste or expense
she had grown up during the Great Depression, so she was no stranger to sparing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sparing
Longreads, 19 Dec. 2024
Mercy for violence, however, remained more sparing.
—New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021
Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Season 1 ended January 12 with cartel boss Gallino (Garcia) sparing Tommy Norris (Thornton) from a torturous end.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
Randall-Pizarro’s lawyer, Margaret Olsen of the Legal Aid Society, wanted the judge to use that earlier test to get the 18-year-old committed in the hopes of sparing her a stay in the troubled city jail complex.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
Tested in pigs, the technique boosted signals to the lungs while sparing the throat, reducing unwanted effects without sacrificing therapeutic impact.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2025
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
Verb
The atmosphere also helped play a role in the rapid demise of Hurricane Lorena off the Mexico coast, sparing that region a direct landfall.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Season 1 ended January 12 with cartel boss Gallino (Garcia) sparing Tommy Norris (Thornton) from a torturous end.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
Randall-Pizarro’s lawyer, Margaret Olsen of the Legal Aid Society, wanted the judge to use that earlier test to get the 18-year-old committed in the hopes of sparing her a stay in the troubled city jail complex.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
Tested in pigs, the technique boosted signals to the lungs while sparing the throat, reducing unwanted effects without sacrificing therapeutic impact.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sparing
Adjective
-
One engineering strand student, Kabeer Bhatia, joined a team of associates redesigning a step stool into a more functional piece that was easier, more economical, and quicker to manufacture.—
Jean Eddy,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Freyne does a lot with a modest budget, finding smart ways to show us fantastical things — memories playing out as if dioramas at the Natural History Museum, a vast expo hall filled with stalls advertising various paradises — on an economical scale.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But Eliasen is careful not to let scope creep derail initial implementations.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Model Drift and Fraud Patterns Require Human Feedback In fraud detection, patterns evolve quickly and data remains sparse.—
Christer Holloman,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The floors will be reclaimed plastic and concrete, and the equipment in the hospital will be sparse, as there are no monitors available, Hawash-Kuemmerle said.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
By extending sensor reach while conserving power, technologies like Wi-Fi HaLow can help broaden access to real-time environmental data, especially in areas where traditional networks fall short.—
Michael De Nil,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
How Treatment Types Affect Secondary Cancer Risk The study focused on women who received breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy as their first treatment.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Choosing a carry-on that’s large enough to accommodate your packing needs is crucial; without it, your attempts at saving space will likely fall flat.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
-
As the Sons occupy a government building, Chris springs into action, saving a hostage while killing militant after militant with fists, a copy machine, and — in the most memorably violent use of a writing utensil in a DC Comics adaptation since The Dark Knight — two pencils in the ears.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Looking back at Charlotte’s recent FCS opponents, dating back to 2021, the 49ers haven’t won the turnover battle in any of the four matchups, resulting in uncomfortably close games and even a lopsided loss to William & Mary in 2022.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
As Vevo’s Senior Manager of Talent Booking, Cynthia Todd emphasized the close partnership and trust that goes into making opportunities like these special performances come together in Live From Vevo Studios.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Treat storage as a scarce public good.—
Phil De Luna,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Water is scarce, rationed to just three hours a day in some districts, and packs of stray dogs roam the city.—
Yegor Mostovshikov,
The Dial,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The company is preserving mid-20th Century brutalist architecture with finishes and furniture from that period.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
-
This approach eliminates the reliance on chemicals, promotes organic and regenerative farming techniques, and aims to increase yields while preserving the health of the land.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sparing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sparing. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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