misspend
verb
mis·spend
ˌmis-ˈspend 
misspent
ˌmis-ˈspent
; misspending
; misspending
: to spend wrongly : squander
a misspent life
Examples of misspend in a Sentence
Several government officials have been accused of misspending public money.
warned that a childhood spent hanging around indoors was a misspent youth indeed
Recent Examples on the Web
On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission chairman sent Newsom a letter demanding information about the state’s Next Generation 911 project and accused the governor of misspending state and federal dollars.
—
William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Another is the surprising fact that no Florida law specifically prohibits public officials from misspending public funds on political advertising.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
Members of a celebrated Florida State Guard unit have taken to social media to allege the organization’s director used state planes to practice flying and misspent millions of dollars.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
An audit report released in October found that a manager with Austin Water misspent $78,000 to pay contractors for unauthorized services.
—Chaya Tong, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misspend
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William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Another is the surprising fact that no Florida law specifically prohibits public officials from misspending public funds on political advertising.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
Members of a celebrated Florida State Guard unit have taken to social media to allege the organization’s director used state planes to practice flying and misspent millions of dollars.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
An audit report released in October found that a manager with Austin Water misspent $78,000 to pay contractors for unauthorized services.
—Chaya Tong, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misspend
Cite this Entry
“Misspend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misspend. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
misspend
verb
mis·spend
(ˈ)mis-ˈspend
misspent
-ˈspent
; misspending
; misspending
: waste entry 2 sense 3, squander
a misspent youth
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