Synonyms of spreading

spreading 1 of 2

adjective

as in infectious

exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others

spreading enthusiasm that got our club rolling again

Synonyms & Similar Words

• infectious
• catching
• epidemic
• contagious
• tangible
• perceptible
• overwhelming
• overpowering
• irresistible
• winning
• palpable
• inviting
• fetching
• endearing
• disarming
• winsome

spreading

2 of 2

verb

present participle of spread

1

as in disseminating

to cause to be known over a considerable area or by many people

spread the news!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disseminating
• propagating
• circulating
• broadcasting
• transmitting
• imparting
• dispensing
• diffusing
• communicating
• radiating
• conveying
• passing (on)
• dispersing
• scattering
• sprawling
• sowing
• dissipating

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hiding
• concealing
• holding (in)
• obscuring
• masking
• secreting
• limiting
• restricting
• containing
• shrouding
• enshrouding
• cloaking
• veiling

2

as in applying

to put a layer of on a surface

we spread the fertilizer over the lawn evenly until it was fully covered

Synonyms & Similar Words

• applying
• smearing
• laying
• sheeting
• coating
• laying on
• layering
• plastering
• slathering
• dabbing
• anointing
• daubing
• covering
• blanketing
• surfacing
• overlaying
• besmearing
• overspreading
• bedaubing
• overlying
• mantling
• carpeting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• exposing
• stripping
• peeling
• uncovering
• baring

3

as in circulating

to become known

once news of the war's end had spread, spontaneous celebrations broke out everywhere

Synonyms & Similar Words

• circulating
• unfolding
• breaking
• telling
• revealing
• coming out
• developing
• leaking (out)
• getting out
• getting around
• disclosing
• outing
• getting about
• getting round
• spilling
• transpiring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• suppressing
• hiding
• concealing
• masking
• disguising
• hushing (up)
• secreting

4

as in transmitting

to cause (something) to pass from one to another

living conditions that help to spread chicken pox

Synonyms & Similar Words

• transmitting
• giving
• conveying
• propagating
• disseminating
• communicating
• imparting
• transferring
• conducting
• delivering
• diffusing
• transfusing
• broadcasting
• infecting
• contaminating
• surrendering
• turning over
• handing over
• poisoning
• handing down
• handing on

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• catching
• contracting
• coming down (with)

5

as in separating

to go or move in different directions from a central point

the walls of the old barn spread under the weight of the snow on the roof

Synonyms & Similar Words

• separating
• dividing
• parting
• diverging
• retreating
• forking
• scattering
• branching (out)
• distributing
• dispersing
• dissipating
• dispelling
• broadcasting
• sowing
• disbanding
• receding
• distancing
• bestrewing
• clearing out
• breaking up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• joining
• converging
• meeting
• gathering
• assembling

6

as in increasing

to become greater in size, extent, volume, amount, or number

dissatisfaction with the new administration is spreading rapidly

Synonyms & Similar Words

• increasing
• rising
• expanding
• accelerating
• swelling
• multiplying
• climbing
• accumulating
• intensifying
• proliferating
• waxing
• snowballing
• enlarging
• mushrooming
• escalating
• gaining
• mounting
• ballooning
• burgeoning
• booming
• surging
• jumping
• rolling up
• appreciating
• heightening
• building up
• skyrocketing
• rocketing
• inflating
• redoubling
• peaking
• distending
• puffing (up)
• bulking
• cresting
• blowing up
• crescendoing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decreasing
• diminishing
• contracting
• lessening
• receding
• waning
• dwindling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of spreading

Verb

The arrests deepen concerns about press freedom in Egypt, where authorities have repeatedly accused journalists and government critics of Brotherhood ties or spreading false news. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Instead of spreading yarn spinning, knitting, and dyeing across different locations, the Guatemalan plant brings the entire process together in one place. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026

Medical experts urge getting a flu vaccination soon, before influenza starts spreading widely — and to get up to date on protection against other fall respiratory viruses, too. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

If knowledge stays with individuals instead of spreading across the team, growth will eventually expose the gap. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

The jitters are spreading across global bond markets as well. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

Versatility is the other reason the trend is spreading quickly. — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026

Over time, population replacement attempts to stably introduce Wolbachia in field populations, effectively spreading disease resistance. — New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2026

Researchers recreated this underlying dynamics in a controllable quantum system and found that string breaking can begin at the edges before spreading inward. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026