Synonyms of squander

squander

verb

ˈskwän-dər 

1

as in to spend

to use up carelessly

squandered all her money gambling in casinos

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

2

as in to disperse

to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart

a single blast of the shotgun squandered the herd of deer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disperse
• scatter
• dispel
• dissipate
• disband
• isolate
• segregate
• disseminate
• clear out
• split (up)
• diffuse
• part
• separate
• diverge
• spread
• break up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collect
• gather
• concentrate
• assemble
• congregate
• cluster
• conglomerate
• ingather
• unite
• unify
• agglutinate

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of squander

Napheesa Collier had 20 points and nine rebounds, Kayla McBride scored 19 points and the WNBA-leading Minnesota Lynx nearly squandered a 29-point lead before holding off the Portland Fire 85-81 on Wednesday night. — CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

All are standing aside while Stephen Miller squanders whatever standing the Republican Party had left with veterans, frontline civilians and military families. — Shawn Vandiver, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026

Wendorf argues that humans, particularly high-performing leaders, often squander their finite energy through people-pleasing, unproductive rumination, and worrying about external opinions, leading to burnout. — Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

The Valkyries needed a big second half after squandering a double-digit lead late in the second quarter. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026