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
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.
—
Phil Galewitz, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
In a lengthy essay today, Gates argues that some climate aid funding is being misspent on projects that try to cut back on emissions but make no tangible improvement in peoples’ health or livelihoods.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Every dollar misspent on luxury travel accommodations is a dollar that could remain with an airline or with a passenger.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 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
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Phil Galewitz, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
In a lengthy essay today, Gates argues that some climate aid funding is being misspent on projects that try to cut back on emissions but make no tangible improvement in peoples’ health or livelihoods.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Every dollar misspent on luxury travel accommodations is a dollar that could remain with an airline or with a passenger.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 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
Cite this Entry
“Misspend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misspend. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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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