spared by

USAGE SUMMARY

'spared by' is correct and usable in written English.
It is used to describe someone or something being avoided, or not having to endure some sort of hardship or suffering. For example, "The village was spared by the hurricane's destruction."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It's spared by basmati rice.

The New York Times - Magazine

Indeed, not even homeless veterans are spared by the Republicans.

The New York Times

"No Rwandese has been spared by this catastrophe..

The New Yorker

There were countless lives spared by fortuity or by God.

The New York Times

"No Rwandese has been spared by this catastrophe...

The New Yorker

Van Zant, G. Studies of hematopoietic stem cells spared by 5-fluorouracil.

Nature

Even some New York Republicans in Congress whose districts were spared by the storm expressed misgivings.

The New York Times

Turkish interests had at first been spared by the Shabab during the 2011 East Africa drought.

The Economist

No expense has been spared by Mr. Petrocelli, a commercial builder in New York City.

The New York Times - Food

Poor Jill Dando, her dignity further eroded rather than spared by the withholding of the name.

The Guardian - Books

His blushes were spared by the referee blowing for what seemed a soft foul.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "spared by", ensure the subject is clearly defined and the cause or agent doing the sparing is also explicit for clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "spared by" without clearly indicating what did the sparing. Omitting this can lead to ambiguity and weaken the sentence's impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "spared by" functions as a passive voice construction, indicating that the subject of the sentence received mercy or avoided a negative outcome due to an external agent or factor. This is supported by Ludwig, which confirms its correct usage in English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

32%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

6%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "spared by" is a grammatically correct and frequently used phrase indicating that something or someone has avoided harm or a negative experience due to an external factor. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is versatile and appears across various contexts, particularly in news, science, and business writing. When using "spared by", it's important to clearly define the agent responsible for the sparing to avoid ambiguity. While "spared by" can be interchanged with other terms such as "saved by" or "rescued by", slight nuances differentiate each phrase. Overall, "spared by" is a valuable addition to your vocabulary for expressing the avoidance of negative outcomes.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

saved by

Emphasizes the idea of being rescued or salvaged from a negative outcome.

rescued by

Focuses on the act of being saved from a dangerous situation, emphasizing intervention.

protected by

Highlights the aspect of being shielded or defended from harm.

left unscathed by

Focuses on the lack of damage or harm experienced, emphasizing the positive outcome.

escaped due to

Shifts the focus to the act of avoiding something negative, emphasizing the reason for the escape.

went unharmed because of

Highlights the fact that no harm was suffered due to a specific cause.

avoided because of

Similar to 'escaped due to', this highlights the avoidance of something negative due to a specific cause.

missed due to

Highlights the concept of something negative being avoided due to a specific circumstance.

was fortunate thanks to

Highlights the luck involved in avoiding a negative situation due to a particular reason.

bypassed because of

Implies that something was avoided or circumvented due to a specific condition.

FAQs

How can I use "spared by" in a sentence?

Use "spared by" to indicate that someone or something avoided a negative experience or outcome. For example, "The town was spared by the flood" or "His life was spared by the doctor's intervention."

What are some alternatives to "spared by"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "saved by", "protected by", or "rescued by".

Is "spared by" formal or informal?

"Spared by" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its appropriateness depends more on the surrounding vocabulary and the overall tone of the writing.

What does it mean when something is "spared by" something else?

It means that the first thing avoided harm or damage because of the influence or action of the second thing. It implies a sense of rescue or good fortune.