spend
verb (used with object)
to pay out, disburse, or expend; dispose of (money, wealth, resources, etc.).
had spent
-
past perfectof spend.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Born with sickle-cell disease, Ms. Gray had spent much of her life in emergency rooms riding out bouts of pain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Villatoro, 33 years old, had spent weeks texting with the bot, telling it about her habits, values, background and dating preferences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
FLAG’s founder, Nick Adams, had spent nearly a decade building toward this moment.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
Pyrrait said they had spent another two and a half hours looking for Strong from the boat.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
I’d been home for two months and had spent them all praying that nobody would learn what I’d done.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
