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.

"I urgently call on parties to spare civilians and civilian objects in all military operations. It is their obligation under international humanitarian law."

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Miraculously, “Project Hail Mary” has sense, vision and more than enough compassion to spare.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

The president said that the raid “totally obliterated” military facilities on the island and that he had decided to spare oil infrastructure “for reasons of decency.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Meanwhile, the latest inflation figures should at least help those with cash to spare find better short-term savings rates as well.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

Most of the residents of this lane had nothing to spare, with the exception of three.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

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