1
as in wastefulness
an instance of spending money or resources without care or restraint
it seems like a waste to spend my entire paycheck on a bigger TV
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in garbage
discarded or useless material
gathered up the waste when he was finished sewing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in desert
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops
an area that was a barren waste after the strip-mining had ended
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in dung
solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal
a local ordinance requiring dog owners to properly dispose of their pet's waste
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in expansion
a wide space or area
a legendary mariner doomed to sail the watery wastes of the world until Judgment Day
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6
as in erosion
a gradual weakening, loss, or destruction
the slow waste of the once broad beach by the relentless tide
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to spend
to use up carelessly
he wasted his lottery winnings on booze-soaked nights with gold diggers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
one country attempting to waste another
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
endless months of inactivity wasted him
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
waste acreage that was not fit for anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of waste
Sarah Moreno
updated February 19, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
Barefoot also simplifies the kitchen, deleting the dual-burner stove to shorten the main block, which now houses just the Dometic bowl sink piped to fresh and waste water tanks, an open worktop, and under-counter drawers and cabinets.
—New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2026
Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2026
Teams that waste their challenges get one additional challenge in each extra inning.
—ABC News, 20 Feb. 2026
Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2021
For many of them, working at a high-growth company with a feel-good, anti-waste mission had felt like the pinnacle of their working lives.
—Lauren Weber, WSJ, 17 May 2021
See All Example Sentences for waste
Noun
Havana’s streets and all provincial cities are full of trash and waste dumps are overflowing due to the fuel crisis to the point that residents have begun to burn them.
—Sarah Moreno
updated February 19, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
Barefoot also simplifies the kitchen, deleting the dual-burner stove to shorten the main block, which now houses just the Dometic bowl sink piped to fresh and waste water tanks, an open worktop, and under-counter drawers and cabinets.
—New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
Under Bolsonaro, state funding dried up, and the government painted artists as freeloaders wasting taxpayer money.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2026
Teams that waste their challenges get one additional challenge in each extra inning.
—ABC News, 20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
But for sheer novelty in this post-waste world, few companies may top Extract Energy.
—Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2021
For many of them, working at a high-growth company with a feel-good, anti-waste mission had felt like the pinnacle of their working lives.
—Lauren Weber, WSJ, 17 May 2021
See All Example Sentences for waste
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waste
Noun
-
Gabriel also acknowledged lawmakers’ responsibility to oversee state spending seriously as well, and would be scrutinizing government programs for wastefulness.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
13 Jan. 2026
-
While an eight-game winning run saw Cherki, Foden and Haaland hit their devastating best, three frustrating draws against Sunderland, Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion were characterised by wastefulness in front of goal.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Schools currently consider animals as equipment to be repeatedly thrown in the garbage, while alternative methods are a one-time investment.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Barely present workers dragged garbage bins, arranged displays of crappy snacks, and wiped counters with slow, heavy movements.—
Mary Gaitskill,
New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The mesmerizing power of the booming sound in a southern Moroccan desert prompts the teeming bodies to writhe and dance in an ecstatic state.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Syrian officials earlier said the decision to empty al-Hol camp was made because of its remote location in the desert and close to areas where authorities do not have complete control.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The streets are begrimed by factory smoke, fecund with horse dung and lit by lanterns.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
These rodents left 15 pieces of dung on top of the dishwasher.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images A week after Meta committed to using millions of Nvidia’s processors to power its AI expansion, the social media company has inked another mammoth chip deal, this time with Advanced Micro Devices.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
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At the Port Authority Bus Terminal expansion, half a mile uptown, Staller trained his lens on giant tubes of steel rimmed with teeth—core drill sections, frosted with snow, like colossal ziti topped with mozzarella cheese—which a crane was hoisting into place.—
Nick Paumgarten,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Brands that respond to uncertainty through promotions potentially risk accelerating the erosion of their long-term brand equity — and failing to answer how a brand justifies its price over time.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Blizzard conditions, several inches of snow, high winds and beach erosion brought states from Maryland to Maine to a standstill.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This has meant the show has spent more time with the very relatable Dunk and his precocious charge Egg.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Grohl said the band spent months discussing their next steps before making the decision.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Top awards executive Lisa Taback had her luggage ruined as well.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
22 Feb. 2026
-
That’s when my Samsonite Paralux Carry-on ruined me for all other take-aboard luggage.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waste. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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