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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 somehow made it back to my friend’s apartment with minutes to spare before post time.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Even those who don’t have as much extra income to spare should contribute up to the employer match, if they have one.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

They were crowned champions with a game to spare and a six-point gap to second-placed Chelsea.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

She speculated that the older people were the ones who had the time to spare.

From Slate • May 4, 2026

I wish I had lied to spare us from all this blushing.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

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