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
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
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
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misspending
Verb
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The campaign stars friends Alessandra and Vitória modeling the collection in a Brooklyn apartment, spending a cozy Galentine’s morning together.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
4 Feb. 2026
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Her dad defected, settling in Miami, after spending a year in Guantanamo Bay.—
James Varsallone,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At 70 years old, Mahesh Chamadia had almost given up on the idea of losing weight.—
Ayushi Shah,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
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Bell-Johnson is known as One Leg and uses a prosthetic limb after losing his leg as a child in a train accident.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated February 6,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misspending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misspending. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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