1
as in misses
to be unable to find or have at hand
I always lose my keys
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drops
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 falls
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 discards
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 spends
to use up carelessly
we lost a good hour while he tried to find his keys
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 loses
While the interplay of these competing atmospheres can be compelling, the overall effect loses its power as the novelty wears off.
—
Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026
Someone loses their memory and that knowledge is lost.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Just the quiet realization that rage, once denied reinforcement, loses its power.
—Joe Palaggi, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
Prior to that, Blaževičius made his feature directorial debut with The Saint, a drama following a factory worker who loses his job during the financial crisis in 2008 and winds up meeting a YouTuber who claims to have met Jesus.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026
The party in power typically loses an average of 22 House seats in midterm cycles.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
In the commercial, Affleck plays Matt Damon's titular character who arranges Munchkins in a Fibonacci sequence and loses his girlfriend to Brady.
—Neal Riley, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
If New England loses, Vrabel will join Ron Rivera and Dan Reeves as Super Bowl-winning players who made it to the big game as a coach but lost.
—Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
When the home team loses, the cold snaps extra hard.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026
Someone loses their memory and that knowledge is lost.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Just the quiet realization that rage, once denied reinforcement, loses its power.
—Joe Palaggi, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
Prior to that, Blaževičius made his feature directorial debut with The Saint, a drama following a factory worker who loses his job during the financial crisis in 2008 and winds up meeting a YouTuber who claims to have met Jesus.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026
The party in power typically loses an average of 22 House seats in midterm cycles.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
In the commercial, Affleck plays Matt Damon's titular character who arranges Munchkins in a Fibonacci sequence and loses his girlfriend to Brady.
—Neal Riley, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
If New England loses, Vrabel will join Ron Rivera and Dan Reeves as Super Bowl-winning players who made it to the big game as a coach but lost.
—Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
When the home team loses, the cold snaps extra hard.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loses
Verb
-
The consumer misses information about a large rate increase.—
Dave Lieber,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
That framing misses what this effort means for families in our community.—
Shane Strum,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After Arirang drops, BTS will kick off its highly anticipated world tour in April with a string of shows in Goyang, South Korea.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
13 Feb. 2026
-
As the temperature drops, the water freezes and expands, causing the pavement to rise.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When night falls over the ship, step into the theater to see a jaw-dropping performance.—
Megan duBois,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The State of Texas must pick up on compassionate border security that picks up where the Federal Government falls short.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, Gans discards the psychological and spatial logic that gave meaning to the original telling’s dream-like sense of disorientation.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The eviction drama became a flashpoint in the ongoing conversation about how Hollywood discards its icons, especially those whose careers were derailed by addiction, health issues and the slow evaporation of studio offers.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
WalletHub estimates the average person spends about $200 on Valentine’s Day.—
Katey Psencik,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Even a stretch of sub-zero weather like one in late January and early February won’t harm the black-legged tick, the Lyme disease-carrying species that should be familiar to anyone who spends time outdoors in Rhode Island.—
Alex Kuffner,
The Providence Journal,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Jason’s dessert with the guests threatens to cause more fighting in the galley since Alesia forgets to tell Ben until the very last moment that the captain is supposed to join them.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
-
In making introductions, Francesca freezes, then forgets her own name.—
Emily Kelleher,
InStyle,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Trying to hold all of that in, trying to be the one who never falters is not sustainable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
-
What never falters is the euphoric chaos of the experience.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Continue reading … HEALTH HORROR – Medical watchdog unloads on VCU after nurse fired for viral anti-ICE TikTok video.—
,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
And with that, Kyle kills him, then unloads three more bullets into the body.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Loses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loses. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
