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
The Tigers had 16 losses but the nation's third-best strength of schedule.
—
Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026
Plagued by slow starts in a shootout loss to Philadelphia and a regulation loss to the Rangers last week, the Wild put 10 shots on the Toronto net in the first period, and had another dozen that missed the mark, but emerged scoreless from the opening 20 minutes.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2026
Both teams were shorthanded with eight players on each side ruled out due to injuries – or rest in the case of Kyle Filipowski, a 22-year-old forward who played 25 minutes two nights earlier in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Illinois coach Brad Underwood enters the NCAA Tournament with another target on his back after the Illini blew a 15-point lead in their quarterfinal loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loss
Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026
Plagued by slow starts in a shootout loss to Philadelphia and a regulation loss to the Rangers last week, the Wild put 10 shots on the Toronto net in the first period, and had another dozen that missed the mark, but emerged scoreless from the opening 20 minutes.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2026
Both teams were shorthanded with eight players on each side ruled out due to injuries – or rest in the case of Kyle Filipowski, a 22-year-old forward who played 25 minutes two nights earlier in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Illinois coach Brad Underwood enters the NCAA Tournament with another target on his back after the Illini blew a 15-point lead in their quarterfinal loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loss
Noun
-
Newborn mammals find comfort in contact, and rescue animals sometimes seek solace from fuzzy toys in the absence of their families, said Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder.—
KYLE MELNICK THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The Bank of America Stadium crowd felt the absence of Messi, but found something else to latch onto.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But many of the workers also presented themselves as victims of racially motivated government policies.—
Boyce Upholt,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Crump is known for representing relatives of victims of high-profile police brutality cases.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Less than a month ago, the Lakers squandered double-digit leads against the Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic in down-to-the-wire defeats.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Ghalibaf accused Israel of attacking infrastructure to conceal battlefield defeats in an X post.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Texans had an average decrease in home equity of about $19,000 year over year, according to property analytics company Cotality.—
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The most recent data shows that the company saw a nearly 25 percent plunge in sales, as well as a decrease in gross profit by more than 30 percent, in 2025.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Being strong doesn't cancel out toxic exposures or sleep deprivation.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Studies have shown there’s less activity in the parts of the brain associated with rumination and stress during sensory deprivation experiments, says Lurie.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Outside,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction famously took on the traditional ideas of the hero’s journey and destruction in storytelling, arguing that the earliest human tool was not a weapon, but a container, such as a bag, a basket, or even a net, designed for gathering and storing food.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Mar. 2026
-
While humans have learned to harness the wind to create clean energy, there’s no way to stop hurricane-force winds or tornadoes that cause destruction.—
Sheryl De Vore,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The lack of snow has water providers across the state enacting drought restrictions or preparing to do so.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
-
While Havana is signaling a willingness to allow foreign investment, many in the community remain skeptical, citing decades of political control and lack of economic transparency.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The majority of these strikes happen during the summer, causing around 20 fatalities each year, according to the NWS.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Mar. 2026
-
As of March 12, the 13th day of the war, official tallies from the UAE's Ministry of Defense show air defenses intercepted 268 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,514 drones, with six fatalities and 131 injuries reported.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loss. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
