spend
verb (used with object)
to pay out, disburse, or expend; dispose of (money, wealth, resources, etc.).
have spent
-
present perfectof spend.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
We have spent a century learning to distrust unaudited numbers on a balance sheet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
If you’re a certain age — say, the generation most excited by the prospect of a “Rocky” origin story — you probably have spent a good few decades watching people imitate Sylvester Stallone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
I have spent the better part of the last year on the road in communities around the country.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026
Researchers have spent decades trying to recreate these remarkable biological systems artificially, and progress in this field was recognized with the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
He must have spent a lot of time in the dark.
From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt
