Here are some examples:
In Spite of:
* In spite of the rain, the picnic was a success. (Even though it rained, the picnic was still good.)
* She went to the party in spite of her headache. (Even though she had a headache, she went to the party.)
* In spite of their differences, they remained friends. (Even though they had differences, they were still friends.)
Despite:
* Despite the cold weather, they went for a walk. (Even though the weather was cold, they went for a walk.)
* She finished the marathon despite a knee injury. (Even though she had a knee injury, she finished the marathon.)
* Despite their best efforts, they lost the game. (Even though they tried their best, they still lost the game.)
As you can see, both "in spite of" and "despite" express the same meaning. You can generally use either one interchangeably. However, "despite" is slightly more formal than "in spite of".
Important Note: While "despite" can be used in front of a noun or a gerund (a verb acting as a noun), "in spite of" typically requires a prepositional phrase with "of".
Example:
* Despite the cold, we had a good time. (Correct)
* Despite being cold, we had a good time. (Correct)
* In spite of the cold weather, we had a good time. (Correct)
* In spite of cold, we had a good time. (Incorrect)