Definition of expensenext
as in cost
a payment made in the course of achieving a result they spared no expense in building the house of their dreams

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of expense However, if interest expense continues to outpace income growth while unemployment rises, real wages cool, and delinquencies broaden, the signal will turn from yellow to red. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026 That fund can be used to help pay for things such as preliminary technical or environmental studies, community engagement initiatives or other expenses deemed necessary by DEEP. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026 My parents were able to shoulder the expense, but there are many whose decision to seek care drives them into serious debt. — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 Special education costs are among the fastest-growing expenses for school districts across California. — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expense
Noun
  • Tiisetso’s view For half a century, the cost of African borrowing has been set largely in New York by three firms that rate the 55 countries from a distance.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • That operational slowdown would subsequently reduce gasoline output and drive total domestic energy costs higher.
    — , CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Both campaigns are also getting crucial assists in targeting Latino voters from independent expenditure groups, which aren’t bound by the same contribution limits as campaigns are.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Odds for a hike in October also fell in the middle of this week after the release of the personal consumption expenditures price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, on Wednesday showed cooler-than-expected prices.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Expense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expense. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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