spare change

noun

: a small amount of money that someone does not need
The beggar asked us if we had any spare change.

Examples of spare change in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Comparing unit prices at the grocery store, shopping the sale racks and collecting spare change are necessities for many Americans, who are coping with stagnant wages, rising prices and mounting bills. Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 10 July 2025 So people like me, a frequent flier who prefers to use any spare change on traveling, can still have that dream home and see the world. Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2025 Donate them: Local charities, schools, and community causes often accept spare change. Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 June 2025 Yes, Dickinson has gone 21st-century Dickensian; Mike pesters people for ketamine, vodka and spare change like Oliver Twist begged for porridge. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025 Citadel’s main owner is a guywho, when shopping for a pied-à-terre in Manhattan, had $238 million of spare change for the purpose. William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025 In high school, Combs was swindling his classmates out of their spare change, in addition to creating other hustles for himself. Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025 And make no mistake, there will be billions of dollars of deals signed during this visit — but not because Saudi Arabia has spare change to throw around. Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025 After his hospitalization, Mason asked friends attending his party to bring spare change and toys instead of gifts, his mother said. Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spare change.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spare%20change. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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