A small forest fire can easily spread and quickly become a great conflagration.
Source: tatoeba (2013)
Spread
/spɹɛd/
Synonyms for "spread" (1017 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (204)
Noun(32 words)
banquetfeastabductingamortized constant timeapplied linguistic approachapply natural system approachbandiesbed coverbed coveringbedcoverbedspreadbleedsblobsblotchingbreadthbroadcast sowbroadcastsbuffetbutteringcascade down
Show 12 more words
cascadescattle farmcattle ranchchammycirculatingcontagionscounterpanecourse acrosscreamscreepingcurrent trenddata variability
Verb(18 words)
circulatediffusedisseminatepropagateabductappliedapplies liquidapply biologyapply methodbroadcastburgeonedbutteredbutterfliedbutterscarriescascadingcircularisecircularize
Determiner(1 words)
a wide range
aberrateaberrationacceleratedaccessaccessibleaccessionaccretionaccrualaccrueaccruementaccumbentaccumulateaccumulationacreageadditionadjunctadvanceadvertiseaffirmedafghan
Show 131 more words
aggrandizedaggrandizementairairingampliationamplificationamplifiedamplitudeannounceannouncedapplyappreciateappreciationareaascentassignattenuationaugmentationaugmentedballoonballooningbandyingbannerbanner headbanquetbarbecuebeambecome publicbed linenbedaubbedclothesbedcoverbeddingbedsheetbedspreadbeefed upbeefed-upbesmearbestrewbignessblanketbloatbloatedbloatingboardbodybookboomboostboostedboundariesboundaryboundsbranchbranch outbreadbread and butterbreadthbreakbreedbroachbroadcastbroadcastingbroadenbroadenedbroadeningbroadnessbrought to noticebruit aboutbruitingbruiting aboutbuffalo robebuildupbulkbutterbuzz aboutcalibercalibratecallcaptioncarrycarry overcasecentrifugencecheerchinkcirculatecirculatedcirculationcircumfusecircumfusioncleavecloakclothescoatcome forthcome outcomestiblescomfortcomfortercommon knowledgecommon propertycommunicatecommunicationcompassconductionconfitureconserveconsigncontagioncontinuumcontour sheetconvectioncouchantcouchecounterpanecovercoveragecoverletcoverlidcrackcrawlingcreature comfortcrescendocrevassecuisinecurrentcutcut opendabdaily bread
Adjective(2 words)
burgeoningcommon statistical concept
Strong matches (305)
daubdealdeal in generalitiesdeal outdecentralizationdeclareddecumbentdeependeepeneddeliverdeliverydeltoiddeploydeploymentdeportdeportationdepthdevelopdevelopingdevelopment
Show 219 more words
deviationdiameterdiapedesisdifferencediffractdiffractiondiffusediffuseddiffusiondilutiondimensiondimensionsdinnerdiscretedispartdispeldispensationdispensedispersaldispersedisperseddispersiondisplaydispreaddisseminatedisseminateddisseminationdissipatedissipateddissipationdistancedistance acrossdistributedistributeddistributiondivaricatedivaricationdivergedivergencedivergencydiversifydividedivisiondrag outdrapeddraw outdrop headdroplineeatablesecumenicizeedemaedibleedibleseiderdownelevatedelevationemanateemptinessempty spaceenamelencompassenhancedenlargeenlargedenlargementenlargingentertainmentenvironepidemicepigraphescalateevaporationevulgationexpandexpandedexpandingexpanseexpansionexpelexportexportationexpulsionextendextendedextendingextensionextentextraditeextraditionfanfan outfan shapedfan-shapefan-shapedfanlikefannedfanningfanning outfarefarmfast foodfeastfeedfieldfind ventfissurefitted sheetflabelliformflareflaredflaringflatfloodflowfly aboutfly openfoodfood and drinkfoodstufffragmentationfullnessgaingain strengthgalactic spacegamutgaugegeneralizegetget aboutget abroadget afloatget aheadget aroundget exposuregildgirthglazeglobalizeglossgogo aboutgo awaygo forthgo offgo outgo the roundsgo upgreateninggreatnessgrovelinggrowgrowthgushhand forwardhand onhand overhangerhave currencyheadheadingheadlinehealth foodheightheightenedheraldhikehikedhikingholdholdinghomesteadimpartimportimportationin circulationin printinciseincreaseincreasedincreasingincrementinfinite spaceinflatedinflationingestaintensifiedintensifyinterchangeinterstellar spaceissuanceissuejamjazzed upjellyjumpjump headjunk foodkitchen stufflacquerlandholdinglap robelargenesslatitudelaylay onlay openlay outlayerleaplegendlengthlielimitslinenlollinglounginglyingmade publicmagnification
Verb(16 words)
decentralizedeployeddeviate from instructionsdiffusesdispersedisperse lightdispersesdisseminatesdistributedistributesdiversifiesdiversifyfan outgo aroundinvadeslaying out
Adjective(8 words)
Noun(42 words)
diffusediffusenessdiffusingdiffusiondipsdisease propagationdispersaldispersedispersingdisseminatingdissipatingdistributingdistribution verbdrapedrip networkencroachmentepidemicsexpansionsextendextension
Related words (508)
magnifiedmagnitudemake a generalizationmake knownmake overmake publicmantlemargarinemassmealmeasuremeasurementmeatmessmetastasismetastasizemetathesismetathesizemetempsychosismigration
Show 320 more words
mottomountmountingmultiplicationmultipliedmultiplymushroommushroomingmutual transfernoisenothingnessoleoopeopenopen upoptionosmosisouter spaceoutspreadoutstretchoutstretchedovergrowoverlayoverlineoverrunoverscatteroversowoverspreadpaintpartpasspass onpass overpass the buckpassagepassing overpastepatchwork quiltpatulouspeddlepepperingperfuseperfusionperiodicalpillow slippillowcaseplaceplantationplasterplatepreserveprimeprintingproclaimedprocumbentproductivenessprofusionprogressprogressionproliferateproliferatedproliferatingproliferationprolongpromulgatepromulgationpronepronouncepropagatepropagatedpropagationpropertyproportionproportionsprostrateprotractprovenderprovisionpublicpublicationpublicizepublishpublishedpublishingpushputput and callput apartput outquiltradiateradiationradiusraiseraisedraisingramifyranchrangerayreachreach outreciterecliningrecumbentrefectionrefreshmentregaleregalementreinforcedrelayrentrepasrepastrepeatreportedreposingresupineretailriddleriftrightripriseriveroberootrubrubricrugrunrun uprunning headrunning titlescalescareheadscatterscatteredscatteringscattermentscopescreamersee the lightseparateseparationsetshedsheetsheetingshoot upshotgun patternshowsizeslap onslatherslipslitsmearsmear onsmoothsnowballsnowballingsowsow broadcastsowingspacespansparsespatial extensionspatteringspheresplashsplaysplayedsplayingsplitsporadicspraddlespraddledspraddlingspranglesprangledspranglingsprawlsprawledsprawlingsprawlysprayspread aboutspread like wildfirespread onspread outspread withspreadheadspreadingspreading abroadspreading outspringspring opensprinklingstatedstiffenedstock optionstraddlestragglingstragglystrapstreamerstrengthenstrengthenedstretchstretch outstretched outstretched-outstrewstrewingstrewnstripstrownsubheadsubheadingsubtitlesuperficial extensionsuperscriptionsupinesurfacesurgesurroundsustenanceswaddleswaysweepswellswellingswing openswitchswollentabletake intaptarteartear opentelecasttelecastingtelevisetelevisedthrowthrow openthrust outtightenedtitletitle pagetracttransductiontransfertransfer of propertytransfer propertytransferencetransfusetransfusiontransittransitiontranslatetranslationtranslocatetranslocationtransmigrationtransmigration of soulstransmissiontransmittransmittaltransmittancetransplacetransplacementtransplanttransplantationtransposaltransposetranspositiontraveltreattrumpettuckertumescenceturn overundercoatunfoldunfoldedunfurluniversalizeunrollupuppingupsurgeupswinguptrendupturnuttervarnishvastnessventilationviandsvictualsvittlesvoidvolatilizationvolumewashwaxwaxingwide openwide-openwidenwidenedwidenesswideningwidespreadwidthwrap
Noun(96 words)
mass distributionmaximum extentmeasurement rangemeasurement spreadmeasurement variationmemesmongeringmongersold french encreistreoutspreadingoutstretchesoutward flowovergrowingoverspilloverspreadingpamphletspastepastespatespropagating
Show 76 more words
propagationramblerampagingranchrangerange examplerange valuereading scatterretweetingricochetsripplingrumorrumorsscatsscatterscatter of seedsscatter of starsseepsskyrocketslabslatheringsmearingsmearssmörgåsbordssowsspacesspacing during thinningspanspatessplatsplatssplattersplayssprawlsspread acrossspread headspreadheadspreadingsqueegeesqueegeesstampedesstandard deviationstdstraddlestretchingsuffusedswirlswirlsswoopstarstech diffusiontelecaststemperature rangetentertopdresstransmissionstransmit a diseasetransmitted speedtransmittingtrendstroweltrowelingtrowelsuncivility spreadunfoldunfoldingurban sprawlvariabilityvariancevariancesvariationsvariednessvary to some extentvectorwaftswingspreads
Verb(65 words)
metastasizedmetastasizesmetastasizingmongeredmushroomednaturalizing garden plantsnoisedopenoutlayingoutspreadsovergrewoverspreadoverspreadspass aroundpercolatedpercolatespollinatesprevailedprevailsproliferates
Show 45 more words
promulgatedpromulgatespropagandizedpropagate bacteriapropagatespublicize policypurveysput aboutradiatedradiatingrampagedreverberatesricochettingrippledroll outrubbedscattedscatterseepedslatheredslatherssmearedsocializessow ideassplashedsplatteredspread outstaggersstreakedstrewedstrewsswepttransmit informationtransmitstransmittedtravelledtroweledunfoldunfurledunfurlsuniversalizesvectoredvegetatedwaftedwhirled
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: banquet, circulate, diffuse, disseminate, feast.
- Sentence evidence is available for spread, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, wiktionary, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "spread".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "spread"
Keep "spread" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "spread" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "spread", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "spread" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
40 entriesactionairbarebed clothingbedclothesbeddingchange of locationcirculatecondimentcontinuecoverdiffusiondisparitydispersiondisplacedissemination
Showing 16 of 40 words.
More specific
13 entriesCollocations
12 entriesbuffet spreaddisease spreadgeographic spreadmeal spreadspread a rumorspread acrossspread of informationspread of rumorsspread outspread quicklyspread the wordspread thin
Inflections
2 entriesDerivations
2 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
14 entriesSample sentences
37 total sentences available.
Fanned by a strong wind, the fire spread in an instant.
Source: tatoeba (19186)
The cancer has spread to her stomach.
Source: tatoeba (20800)
Can we check the rapid spread of the 'flu?
Source: tatoeba (22634)
Showing 4 of 37 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "spread"?
Closest matches include banquet, circulate, diffuse, disseminate, feast.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "spread"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.