spawned; spawning; spawns
1
: to deposit or fertilize spawn
2
: to produce young especially in large numbers
1
a
: to produce or deposit (eggs)
—used of an aquatic animal
b
: to induce (fish) to spawn
c
: to plant with mushroom spawn
2
: bring forth, generate
the idea spawned controversy
spawner
noun
Synonyms
Examples of spawn in a Sentence
Verb
The health-food craze spawned a multimillion-dollar industry.
the incident that spawned a generation of student protests
a TV show that spawned a host of imitations
Noun
Pacific salmon return to Alaskan streams to deposit their spawn.
sometimes I think those little brats are the spawn of Satan himself
Recent Examples on the Web
Kyle Denis, Billboard, 11 Feb. 2025
The Round Table also spawned a floating poker game that involved Ross and his eventual financial backer, Raoul Fleischmann, of the famous yeast-making family.
—Christopher B. Daly, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Feb. 2025
Silvery steelhead migrate to the ocean and return to natal freshwater streams to spawn, a cycle that can be impeded by dams and concrete channels.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for spawn 
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Verb
Some of these terms spawned from intracommunal discussions that spilled over into general online conversation, and others are likely to have been pushed by bot accounts – often specifically targeting dark-skinned Black artists.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 11 Feb. 2025
The Round Table also spawned a floating poker game that involved Ross and his eventual financial backer, Raoul Fleischmann, of the famous yeast-making family.
—Christopher B. Daly, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
Noun
As Taylor, the Nez Perce Tribe’s watershed division director, looked on and the pair pushed against the current to spawn, his thoughts strayed elsewhere in the same watershed.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Feb. 2025
Silvery steelhead migrate to the ocean and return to natal freshwater streams to spawn, a cycle that can be impeded by dams and concrete channels.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for spawn
Dictionary Entries Near spawn
Cite this Entry
“Spawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spawn. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spawn
1 of 2 verb
ˈspȯn 
ˈspän
1
: to deposit or fertilize eggs
fish swimming upstream to spawn
2
: to produce young especially in large numbers
3
spawner
noun
spawn
2 of 2 noun1
: the eggs of aquatic animals (as fishes or oysters) that lay many small eggs
2
: product sense 2, offspring
also
: something produced in large quantities
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