dissipating 1 of 3

adjective

as in wasting

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dissipating

2 of 3

noun

as in squandering

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dissipating

3 of 3

verb

present participle of dissipate
1
as in dispersing
to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart dissipated the enemy forces with unremitting artillery fire

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2
as in spending
to use up carelessly dissipated the family fortune in reckless business ventures

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3
as in dissolving
to go off in different directions and cease to exist as a body or unified whole the fog should dissipate once the sun comes out in full force

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dissipating
Noun
Between these times, every stage moves from fullness and being a light to finding your light dissipating and toward the crescent. — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026 Hubble’s more recent imagery shows the dissipating remains of the smash encounter. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Dec. 2025
Verb
The resulting materials will better withstand extreme operational environments by dissipating explosive force at the structural level. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026 During the filming of an explosion scene featuring him alongside his co-star Leonard Nimoy, the stage doors were accidentally left closed, preventing the blast from dissipating properly. — Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026 The storm then roared into Alabama with tropical-force winds before dissipating farther north. — CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 Warm yet uplifting with a strong hit of black tea, Still Bloom's cardomom, sesame, and orange top notes hit like a shot of caffeine before dissipating into a mellow, comforting underbelly of musk, rose and cedarwood, to name a few. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 After dissipating, some of the storm’s remnant moisture then traveled into parts of New Mexico and West Texas, bringing heavy rainfall to the region. — Newsroom Meteorologist, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Sep. 2026 Rinsing also cools down the seed, dissipating heat that builds up from the sprouting seeds. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026 Dull spells and lulls will crop up, building like waves, peaking, crashing, then dissipating. — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026 Others are content simply to provoke a few smiles, before dissipating like smoke with the very next breeze. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissipating
  1. wasteful
  2. squandering
  3. dispersing
  4. spending
  5. dissolving
  6. profligate
  7. losing
  8. disappearing
Adjective
  • Proposition 41, which trailed slightly Tuesday evening, is framed as an effort to cut wasteful government spending and require audits of new special taxes.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Her campaign focused on curtailing immigration, confronting China and cutting wasteful government spending.
    — Maham Javaid, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of wasteful
Noun
  • Speaking of losses, Mike Minogue may or may not rue the squandering of $20 million on this unfortunate campaign.
    — Jon Keller, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • An everyman figure squeezing every bit of talent from his frame, a boy who returned to working as a fisherman after the first squandering of his football dream, from a family that could not always afford to buy him studded boots.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 June 2026
Definition of squandering
Verb
  • Dozens took up paint rollers and brushes before dispersing through the neighborhoods around their schools.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • This sudden phase transition let the target act as an immediate shock absorber, dispersing kinetic energy at the molecular level thanks to graphite’s softer carbon structure.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of dispersing
Verb
  • Sanders was 19 of 31 for 297 yards and two TDs in his first start this season in place of Deshaun Watson, who sat out after spending part of the past week in the NFL's concussion protocol.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The golf project could be included in spending legislation during the lame-duck Congressional session that begins next week.
    — Rick Maese, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of spending
Verb
  • Instead of dissolving an entire sample for analysis, this method measures individual mineral grains directly.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Widespread unrest watch now Since late September, France has seen violent protests across the country, with demonstrations dissolving into riots and looting in late October.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of dissolving
Adjective
  • The combination of slow growth, high inflation, profligate spending, and soaring debt has stirred a revolt in financial markets.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Chicagoans expect Pritzker to defend us from profligate mayoral borrowing and spending, not add to it.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of profligate
Verb
  • Losing the controller connection does not automatically mean losing GPS navigation.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
  • As California's wetlands disappear, the risk of losing the cultural knowledge and traditions tied to these ecosystems increases.
    — Conor McGill, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of losing
Verb
  • The gas usually peaks in the northern hemisphere during winter on Mars, disappearing in the summer.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Here, again, our disappearing Education Department abdicated its constitutional role to the governor and attorney general.
    — David Bloomfield, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of disappearing

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dissipating
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Cite this Entry

“Dissipating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissipating. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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