Collocations for spread - noun
ADJ.
good, great, wide | rapid | gradual, slow | geographical, global
The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.
VERB + SPREAD
encourage
Such unhygienic conditions encourage the spread of disease.
halt, prevent, stop | control, limit, reduce
PREP.
~ of
the spread of fire
Collocations for spread - verb
1. open sth so that you can see all of it
ADV.
carefully | out
We spread the rug out on the floor.
PHRASES
spread sth open
He had a newspaper spread open on his knee.
2. reach more people/wider area
ADV.
fast, like wildfire, quickly, rapidly, soon
The news spread like wildfire.
gradually, slowly | easily
The disease spreads easily.
widely
Allow plenty of space for this plant as its roots spread widely.
far and wide
His fame had spread far and wide.
geographically
Friends may be spread geographically. Neighbours, by definition, are nearby.
outwards
PREP.
across, among, around/round, beyond, from, into, over, through, throughout, to
The effects of this policy spread far beyond children now at school. | The fire rapidly spread to adjoining buildings.
PHRASES
thinly spread
Expertise in this field is very thinly spread across the country.
3. cover a surface with a soft substance
ADV.
generously, liberally, thickly | lightly, thinly | evenly
Don''t make the paste too thick, or it will not spread evenly.
PREP.
on
He spread jam on the toast.
with
Spread each slice generously with butter.
ADV.
equally, evenly, uniformly | unevenly
PREP.
among, between
We tried to spread the workload evenly between the departments.
over
The course takes forty hours, spread over twenty weeks.