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

The firing of Fedorov has led to panic in many Western pro-Ukraine circles, with observers fearing Zelensky is squandering Ukraine’s recent bout of good fortune through firing the mastermind of Ukraine’s drone advancements. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 July 2026

Democrats still have plenty of time to squander their advantage. — Jack Herrera, New Yorker, 14 July 2026

The switch-hitting shortstop shouldn’t squander an opportunity to add another home run to his 2026 ledger, given his matchup and home park factors. — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

The Red Sox squandered a golden opportunity early, loading the bases in the top of the first and coming away empty handed, but made up for it with a big second inning. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026