Synonyms of losing

losing

verb

present participle of lose

1

as in missing

to be unable to find or have at hand

I always lose my keys

Synonyms & Similar Words

• missing
• forgetting
• misplacing
• mislaying
• passing over
• overlooking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• having
• retaining
• keeping
• holding
• owning
• possessing
• enjoying
• occupying
• finding
• locating
• detecting
• tracking (down)
• running down
• scouting (up)
• scaring up
• descrying

2

as in dropping

to fail to win, gain, or obtain

if the team loses this game, they're out of the play-offs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dropping
• forfeiting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• winning
• prevailing (over)
• nailing (down)
• conquering
• triumphing (over)

3

as in falling

to undergo defeat

she really hates to lose at anything, and inevitably throws tantrums when it happens

Synonyms & Similar Words

• falling
• faltering
• throwing
• missing
• failing
• bowing out
• taking the count
• forfeiting
• collapsing
• flopping
• striking out
• tanking
• flunking
• cracking (up)
• folding
• foundering
• washing out
• bombing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• winning
• prevailing
• conquering
• succeeding
• triumphing
• thriving
• flourishing
• prospering

4

as in dumping

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

• dumping
• discarding
• ditching
• unloading
• abandoning
• shedding
• rejecting
• scrapping
• removing
• eliminating
• jettisoning
• tossing
• exorcising
• casting (off)
• chucking
• sloughing (off)
• flinging (off or away)
• throwing away
• junking
• shucking (off)
• disposing of
• dismissing
• laying by
• deep-sixing
• throwing out
• sluffing (off)
• eighty-sixing
• setting aside
• forsaking
• abdicating
• pitching
• deserting
• cashiering
• eradicating
• abolishing
• kicking out
• expunging
• annihilating
• extinguishing
• wiping out
• exterminating
• extirpating
• liquidating
• stamping (out)
• rooting (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adopting
• using
• embracing
• employing
• utilizing
• retaining
• holding
• keeping
• taking on
• holding back

5

as in spending

to use up carelessly

we lost a good hour while he tried to find his keys

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spending
• wasting
• squandering
• dissipating
• blowing
• running through
• throwing away
• lavishing
• trifling (away)
• misspending
• frittering (away)
• fiddling away
• depleting
• consuming
• playing ducks and drakes with
• exhausting
• impoverishing
• disbursing
• overspending
• indulging
• expending
• splurging
• overindulging
• shooting
• laying out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conserving
• protecting
• preserving
• saving
• economizing
• skimping
• hoarding
• scrimping
• laying up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of losing

But at this point, many SEC administrators would rather find out by getting a win or by losing and then moving forward with that knowledge. — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

The tropical cyclone reached Category 5, defined by sustained winds of 157 mph or greater, overnight Friday before losing some of its steam and settling into Category 4’s limits of sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph by Saturday. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026

His father begs him to stop work, wondering why filming a story about the closure of bakeries in Jabalia for consumption by outlets like the UK’s Channel 4 is worth risking losing his only son. — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

Pierre Damas Bel stepped into highway traffic after losing his immigration status. — Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2026

Haslet Eaton looks strong Haslet Eaton competed well in Week 1, losing to Class 5A power Denton Ryan by 3 points. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026

Instead of losing years of personalization when the hardware gets old, your family's memories could move into the next robot. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Shares nevertheless sold off on profit-taking, leaving Palo Alto as the portfolio's worst performer last week, losing more than 10%. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026

A week after losing 49-35 to Batavia, Maine South came out strong in all three phases of the game. — Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026