as in spending
to use up carelessly
warned that a childhood spent hanging around indoors was a misspent youth indeed
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Recent Examples of misspending
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
Emily Barnes, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misspending
Verb
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Some warning signs to watch out for include your child being more socially withdrawn, spending more time on electronic devices or their grades dropping.—
Stephanie Stahl,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
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After dealing with a respiratory condition and undergoing surgery, a 16-year-old Short began spending winters in Florida with family friends, per a doctor's recommendation who believed the milder climate would help improve her health.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Over the past year, CBS has experienced several controversies and new ownership that led to new leadership, which have some critics accusing the network of losing its credibility.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
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The Tigers, who beat Texas 70-65, were in the top 10 most of the season before losing their first two SEC games.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misspending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misspending. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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