1
as in absence
the act or an instance of not having or being able to find
he was upset over the loss of his wedding ring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in victim
a person or thing harmed, lost, or destroyed
the platoon was able to accomplish its reconnaissance mission without any losses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in defeat
failure to win a contest
we're discouraged by our loss on Friday, but we're training hard for next week's game nevertheless
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in decrease
the amount by which something is lessened
was determined to stay on the diet until he showed a loss of 10 pounds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in deprivation
the state of being robbed of something normally enjoyed
her loss of sleep meant that she would have trouble concentrating at work the next day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the loss of the oil tanker was more significant than the loss of its cargo
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 loss
Forest sits 17th in the Premier League table, just above the relegation places, with a low win rate and more losses than wins so far this season.
—
Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 22 Feb. 2026
Tobias Harris also had 18 points and Duncan Robinson added 17 for the league-leading Pistons (42-13), which dealt the Bulls their season-high eighth straight loss and 11th in 12 games.
—Matt Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Despite the loss, Miami remains in third place in the ACC behind Duke and Virginia.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2026
The Knicks bounced back two nights after a disappointing loss to Eastern Conference-leading Detroit.
—CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loss
Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 22 Feb. 2026
Tobias Harris also had 18 points and Duncan Robinson added 17 for the league-leading Pistons (42-13), which dealt the Bulls their season-high eighth straight loss and 11th in 12 games.
—Matt Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Despite the loss, Miami remains in third place in the ACC behind Duke and Virginia.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2026
The Knicks bounced back two nights after a disappointing loss to Eastern Conference-leading Detroit.
—CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loss
Noun
-
In the absence of mandatory reporting rules, she and other doctors are often left to rely on rumors, their grapevines of colleagues, and the fragments of information the state public health agency is able to gather and willing to share.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
-
This year, the books and magazines featured in the library address the presence and absence of women in the arts and media from different perspectives.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Rescuers continued to search for victims on the third day since the catastrophe began late Monday, causing floods, landslides, collapsed houses and shuttered schools.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Children ages 3 and younger were most often the victims of fatal child abuse in Illinois between 2015 and 2022, according to a sobering new report out of Northwestern University.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That love was evident in abundance following the online racial abuse directed at Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho following the Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy.—
Aleks Klosok,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The rest all won at least 40 games before their 20th defeat.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Interviewed before the store closing, chief executive officer Tres Lund said last year that an increase in store security expenses and decrease in customer visits had left operating costs outpacing sales.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
26 Feb. 2026
-
In December, city staff requested an end to meeting room reservations for outside organizations due to concerns over security, a decrease in room bookings, and billing and reservation system challenges.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Their story—forged amid war, murder, and deprivation—has long lived in the margins of pop history.—
Margaret Heidenry,
Vanity Fair,
24 Feb. 2026
-
There's truth to that, but there's also a deprivation in that.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The introduction of rats, dogs, cats and stoats, as well as hunting by people and destruction of native forest habitats, drove species of the country’s flourishing flightless birds — the kakapo among them — to near or complete extinction.—
Charlotte Graham-McLay,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Speaking with Spanish language sports publication Diario Deportivo Diez the day after the Honduran club football’s worst defeat in CONCACAF, Bubara lauded LAFC for the 6-1 destruction.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Risk factors at any age include obesity, lack of physical activity, a diet high in red or processed meat and low in fruits and vegetables, smoking, heavy alcohol use, having inflammatory bowel disease or a family history of colorectal cancer.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
-
For all those reasons, there has been bemusement at Everton in the past over his relative lack of England recognition.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The 'high' classification indicates a failure would likely result in human fatalities downstream.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Pakistan’s state-run media later reported that militant fatalities had risen to 80.—
Munir Ahmed,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loss. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
