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
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
Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn requested that the state auditor’s office conduct a formal audit of the nearly $560 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds the city received from the federal government, in light of misspending by a city program.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misspend
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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
Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn requested that the state auditor’s office conduct a formal audit of the nearly $560 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds the city received from the federal government, in light of misspending by a city program.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 13 Dec. 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 26 Feb. 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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