to spare

Idioms

In addition to what is needed, extra, left over, as in We paid our bills and still had money to spare. This expression uses spare in the sense of “leftover” or “unused,” a usage dating from the late 1500s.

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.

See Examples For:

to spare

Dr. David Presser, an emergency medicine physician, wrote a letter urging the district to spare Silverado.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

So, again: What is the constitutional distinction that allowed the court to spare the Fed from its otherwise categorical execution of agency independence?

From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026

A win for Scotland against Morocco - who drew 1-1 with Brazil last Saturday in their opening game - will guarantee progression into the next round with a game to spare.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

The Americans guaranteed their spot with a game to spare, easing pressure on Pulisic and positioning them to win their group.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Hundreds of people could gather here with room to spare.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023