as in missing
no longer possessed
we searched all over the house for the lost keys
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in missed
to be unable to find or have at hand
I always lose my keys
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dropped
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 fell
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 discarded
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 spent
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 lost
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Yet Rodriguez and other experts say that food banks won't be able to replace the lost federal SNAP support.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 30 May 2026
Gary Bedore
june 3, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
In 2025, Boyd made the state semifinals and lost to Wall, the eventual state champion, in three games.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lost
Adjective
My sources tell me that console is more or less viewed as a lost cause at this point in terms of dramatically surging market share or the playerbase there.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Yet Rodriguez and other experts say that food banks won't be able to replace the lost federal SNAP support.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 30 May 2026
Verb
The Sooners lost their last four series in the SEC.
—Gary Bedore
june 3, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
In 2025, Boyd made the state semifinals and lost to Wall, the eventual state champion, in three games.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lost
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lost
Adjective
-
During the search for the missing mother and daughter and Fieramusca, FBI agents followed Green.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
When tube feet were severed, the wound margin was a mess of missing or fragmented epidermal and connective tissue.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Then the team, for unknown reasons, withdrew from the East Asian championship in 2019, and missed the 2023 World Cup, citing the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Andrew McNicol,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
-
Marner was awarded a penalty shot, but Bussi didn't give him much to shoot at, and Marner missed his attempt on the backhand.—
Matt Reigle,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Investigation traced equipment to officer's home According to the criminal complaint, the journalist suffered an injury while working at the protest and dropped a camera bag containing cameras and other equipment valued at roughly $10,000.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
Thin ties dropped from the neckline of the bohemian-leaning silhouette, giving the dress a slightly undone finish against the high-shine black heels.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Piccotto effectively plays the regret of a mother forced to reckon with the loss of a child, the horror of engaging with that child again, while also grappling with her own role as a mother felled by the scourge of addiction.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
In a Western Conference Final where a few other key Colorado Avalanche players are already playing through injuries, the NHL’s leading goal scorer this season was felled trying to prevent someone else from scoring.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Detectives later found that the items had been discarded in a retention pond behind the restroom.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
-
Participants will bring old or discarded screens, monitors, tablets and smartphones to investigate the intersections of material, design and data.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Toomey spent an afternoon with Hulst in his final weeks.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
Crow and Creepy, the call signs of two soldiers from the 24th Mechanized Brigade, have spent 344 and 334 days respectively, non-stop, in frontline dugouts.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
Suddenly, photos, videos, or important documents are just… gone.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
15 May 2026
-
Room by room, the author takes us through the house, now long gone.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But in the case of AI, the anxiety is misplaced.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Once the whiskey was flowing, Louanne burned the chicken and Dean misplaced his appetite.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lost.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lost. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
