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 Jazz overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half to win the game 105-103, but Brown blamed the NBA officials for the loss.
—
Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
But scale, especially with the ultimate loss of Gucci — that, according to Evercore, currently accounts for about 8 percent of Coty’s total sales and approximately 11 percent of its profits — is dwindling and not necessarily enough to win.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
Meta shares tumbled 9% as traders focused on a one-time tax charge and a $4.4 billion loss from its Reality Labs business.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
The survey also found that the number of people using GLP-1 drugs has grown from 5.8% of the population in February 2024 to 12.4% today, and that the age groups with the greatest rates of use have shown the fastest weight loss.
—semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loss
Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
But scale, especially with the ultimate loss of Gucci — that, according to Evercore, currently accounts for about 8 percent of Coty’s total sales and approximately 11 percent of its profits — is dwindling and not necessarily enough to win.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
Meta shares tumbled 9% as traders focused on a one-time tax charge and a $4.4 billion loss from its Reality Labs business.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
The survey also found that the number of people using GLP-1 drugs has grown from 5.8% of the population in February 2024 to 12.4% today, and that the age groups with the greatest rates of use have shown the fastest weight loss.
—semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loss
Noun
-
In the absence of whales, sucker fish avoid predators by seeking other large creatures to latch onto, including manta rays, dolphins and unlucky scuba divers.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
As the project neared completion and after several years of absence, Peter Selz returned to reclaim his title of project director.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Some analysts argue that while Christians have been targeted by Boko Haram and other Islamist groups seeking to impose their extreme interpretation of Islamic law, Muslims, including those considered moderate, have also been victims of those groups.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
-
According to the investigators' notes, the victims left a sliding door open on the night of the attack for Goncalves' dog, who was found unharmed in her bed.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Auburn fell to 4-5 on the year after the Week 10 defeat to the Wildcats.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Although Ukraine for now is still maintaining a defense, the fall of Pokrovsk would be one of the most serious defeats Ukraine has suffered since March, when its troops were forced to retreat from Russia's Kursk region.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Heart rate decreases during stretching, which could signify the body entering a calm state.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
6 Nov. 2025
-
According to Nexstar, overall Q3 ad sales stood at $476 million, a decrease of $146 million from the third-quarter of 2024.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Carskadon says all of this contributes to pervasive sleep deprivation.—
NPR,
NPR,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Facility one-upsmanship, all in the name of attracting better recruits, led to practice facilities with mini-golf courses (Clemson), marble showers in the locker room (Oregon) and sensory deprivation tanks (Georgia).—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Perhaps, curled inside the turbulent virginal atmosphere, Helm dreams of being a storm, has a prophetic vision of destruction, feels a natural calling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
What divides him from Burton is that Hopkins, by a miracle, summoned the clarity to renounce his own destruction.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Despite his lack of coaching experience at the MLB level, Vitello was named manager of the San Francisco Giants last month.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Part of the reason why there are so few of these conversations about podcasting is a general lack of criticism for narrative audio.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Ackerman noted that the number of fatalities in each storm dropped, to no fatalities in the powerful 1998 storm.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Senior local government official Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar has stated that eight of the fatalities are women and one is a child, per the AP.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
1 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Loss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loss. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share