as in to spend
to use up carelessly
warned that a childhood spent hanging around indoors was a misspent youth indeed
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Recent Examples of misspend
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
Remember when Massachusetts misspent about $2.5 billion in CARES Act funds (under former Gov. Charlie Baker)?
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 8 Dec. 2025
Oz said in his X post that California had misspent $1.3 billion on care for people not eligible for Medicaid, while Illinois spent $30 million, Oregon $5.4 million, Washington state $2.4 million, Washington, D.C., $2.1 million, and Colorado $1.5 million.
—Kff Health News, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
There are literally a million better ways to stop food waste than partnering with a family that has been convicted of felonies for misspending nonprofit money.
—Emily Barnes, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misspend
Chaya Tong, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
Remember when Massachusetts misspent about $2.5 billion in CARES Act funds (under former Gov. Charlie Baker)?
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 8 Dec. 2025
Oz said in his X post that California had misspent $1.3 billion on care for people not eligible for Medicaid, while Illinois spent $30 million, Oregon $5.4 million, Washington state $2.4 million, Washington, D.C., $2.1 million, and Colorado $1.5 million.
—Kff Health News, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
There are literally a million better ways to stop food waste than partnering with a family that has been convicted of felonies for misspending nonprofit money.
—Emily Barnes, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misspend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misspend
Verb
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Factor in a tax multiplier for those who repeatedly spend past the salary cap, and payroll expenses can include hundreds of millions in taxes.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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How in the world had my mother, a young Black woman and the eldest of four, raised by two parents who had never finished high school in a segregated town in southwestern Louisiana, spent a summer in Europe in the 1960s?—
Shayla Martin,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With three games left, the Nets are losing ground on the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings in the race for the best odds, even as individual players keep stacking auditions that matter to their futures, whether that’s in Brooklyn or elsewhere.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
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One day after they were pounded 14-2 in this World Series rematch, the Blue Jays extended their losing streak to six games.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misspend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misspend. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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