1. To move, disperse, or be distributed onto or across something or some place. Vines from the neighbor's ivy plant began spreading on our side of the fence. A rash has been spreading on his back for the last two days.

2. To distribute some substance on(to the surface of something or some area). In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "spread" and "on." Make sure your icing is the right consistency before you start spreading it on the cake. It will be much faster if you spread on the paint with a roller instead of a brush.

3. Of information, to disseminate on some medium or platform. The news spread on Twitter like wildfire. There are rumors spreading on the internet that the company is on the verge of bankruptcy.

4. To disseminate information on some medium or platform. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "spread" and "on." Tom's been spreading gossip about Sarah on social media. The university is spreading the news on noticeboards around the campus. That hack has been spreading the same hate-filled rhetoric on the radio for years.