1
2
as in to drop
to fail to win, gain, or obtain
if the team loses this game, they're out of the play-offs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to fall
to undergo defeat
she really hates to lose at anything, and inevitably throws tantrums when it happens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to discard
to get rid of as useless or unwanted
we told the recent grad to lose the flashy shirts and dress conservatively for the job interview
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to spend
to use up carelessly
we lost a good hour while he tried to find his keys
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lose
Young lost three turnovers against the Jaguars and had a fourth — a pick six by Andrew Wingard — negated by a defensive holding penalty.
—
Joseph Person, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Forgoing proper spacing is tempting in the spring when small seedlings look lost in a garden bed.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Sep. 2025
The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Poland lost some 6 million people in the war that would ensue the following year, behind only the Soviet Union, China and Nazi Germany, and the highest of any nation by percentage of population.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lose
Joseph Person, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Forgoing proper spacing is tempting in the spring when small seedlings look lost in a garden bed.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Sep. 2025
The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Poland lost some 6 million people in the war that would ensue the following year, behind only the Soviet Union, China and Nazi Germany, and the highest of any nation by percentage of population.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lose
Verb
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Of course, sadly missing from the grand reunion that was The Grand Finale was the late Maggie Smith, who played Robert’s mother, Violet.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
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An older inmate with a history of hypertension and cognitive decline went unmonitored for months, missing standard screenings that could have caught deteriorating health.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Alcaraz is averaging fewer than 10 games dropped per match, and his 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2 victory was his second-closest encounter so far.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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National Weather Service meteorologists consider forecasting waterspouts during the late summer and fall whenever large, cool air masses overspread the waters of the Great Lakes.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Department of Buildings told CBS News New York and News 12 Long Island that a 10-by-10-inch section of the ceiling collapsed due to possible water damage, and pieces of the building fell on customers dining inside.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to a criminal complaint, Briceno, whom authorities said is an undocumented immigrant, used a firearm to shoot inside the doorway of the bar and then discarded the firearm, which law enforcement never recovered.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
7 Sep. 2025
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In mahjong, four players draw and discard tiles with different suits, numbers and Chinese characters.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ford dropped it from the Explorer’s retail lineup, but continues to offer it in police vehicles, which benefit from its ability to power AC and other accessories without running the engine when parked, as patrol vehicles often spend lots of time doing.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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California’s legal fight to get those funds back–which hadn’t been spent–will take months if not years to resolve.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Neither will forget what Harbaugh did late in the blowout, when going for two points after a touchdown instead of kicking a PAT to signal everything was A-OK between the two.—
Jay Paris,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Don’t forget meds, food, clean ID tags, and anything else your dog might need on the trip.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As the business cycle… cycles, eventually growth will falter.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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But their defense, which had been their strong suit in recent seasons, faltered greatly and was also a major factor in their poor showing.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Dexter has borrowed Prater’s yacht to dump his body into the East River.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
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The season will detail 10 different cases, including a Las Vegas journalist ambushed outside his residence, a body dumped in a NYC tunnel, and a mission to discover the identity of a victim found in the East River.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lose. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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