Synonyms of misspend

misspend

verb

ˌmis-ˈspend 

as in to spend

to use up carelessly

warned that a childhood spent hanging around indoors was a misspent youth indeed

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spend
• lose
• waste
• squander
• throw away
• lavish
• run through
• dissipate
• blow
• trifle (away)
• splurge
• consume
• fritter (away)
• fiddle away
• play ducks and drakes with
• expend
• deplete
• impoverish
• indulge
• exhaust
• disburse
• overspend
• overindulge
• lay out
• shoot

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conserve
• economize
• protect
• save
• preserve
• skimp
• scrimp
• hoard
• lay up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of misspend

In Mississippi, federal investigators say roughly $77 million dollars in welfare funds were misspent during the state’s largest public welfare embezzlement scheme. — Aisha Nyandoro, Forbes.com, 3 Feb. 2026

Another is the surprising fact that no Florida law specifically prohibits public officials from misspending public funds on political advertising. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026

Visit our website Between 2016 and 2020, Mississippi organizations that received TANF funding to conduct things like workforce development and teen pregnancy prevention misspent or stole at least $77 million. — Bryce Covert, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2026

There are literally a million better ways to stop food waste than partnering with a family that has been convicted of felonies for misspending nonprofit money. — Emily Barnes, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025