1
as in spent
to use up carelessly
squandered all her money gambling in casinos
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dispersed
to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart
a single blast of the shotgun squandered the herd of deer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squandered
Yet, despite this opening, the North Londoners have squandered their opportunity, matching their rivals in dropping crucial points.
—
Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Evan Peters and Rebecca Hall, who play the law-enforcement partners leading the investigation, have a natural chemistry that’s promptly squandered when Hall’s character gets infected and turns into a younger, supposedly more attractive version of herself.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
Anthony Edwards scored 38 points for the Timberwolves (27-17), who squandered a 15-point lead and closed out a four-game trip with three straight losses.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
But on Monday, there was only that pit-of-your-stomach gnawing concoction of disappointment, frustration and emptiness that foments when a chance for history is squandered.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Midfielder Pape Gueye netted the 94th-minute winner after Morocco’s star player Brahim Diaz had squandered the chance to win it for the home side by fluffing the last-gasp penalty in normal time following a 14-minute delay.
—Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
The last came Monday night, when the AFC North champions squandered some early momentum before getting drilled 30-6 by Houston, the most lopsided home playoff loss in team history.
—Will Graves, Baltimore Sun, 13 Jan. 2026
The last came Monday night, when the AFC North champions squandered some early momentum before getting blown out 30-6 by the Houston Texans, the most lopsided home playoff loss in team history.
—Will Graves, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Cuba has squandered the goodwill of governments across the ideological spectrum.
—Ricardo Torres, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Evan Peters and Rebecca Hall, who play the law-enforcement partners leading the investigation, have a natural chemistry that’s promptly squandered when Hall’s character gets infected and turns into a younger, supposedly more attractive version of herself.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
Anthony Edwards scored 38 points for the Timberwolves (27-17), who squandered a 15-point lead and closed out a four-game trip with three straight losses.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
But on Monday, there was only that pit-of-your-stomach gnawing concoction of disappointment, frustration and emptiness that foments when a chance for history is squandered.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Midfielder Pape Gueye netted the 94th-minute winner after Morocco’s star player Brahim Diaz had squandered the chance to win it for the home side by fluffing the last-gasp penalty in normal time following a 14-minute delay.
—Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
The last came Monday night, when the AFC North champions squandered some early momentum before getting drilled 30-6 by Houston, the most lopsided home playoff loss in team history.
—Will Graves, Baltimore Sun, 13 Jan. 2026
The last came Monday night, when the AFC North champions squandered some early momentum before getting blown out 30-6 by the Houston Texans, the most lopsided home playoff loss in team history.
—Will Graves, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Cuba has squandered the goodwill of governments across the ideological spectrum.
—Ricardo Torres, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squandered
Verb
-
Why vocabulary avoidance creates the space populists fill European governments spent a decade learning that sloppy language inflames prejudice.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Vance, a Republican, has spent years passionately advocating for Americans to have more children.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After they were released, family members dispersed from Cairo in search of safety, according to Ghanem.—
Sana Noor Haq,
CNN Money,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Forbes excludes dispersed family fortunes but attributes wealth of immediate family members to the founder of a fortune.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The head of a medical watchdog group unleashed on Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) after a nurse at the school's hospital lost her job over TikTok videos that went viral for all the wrong reasons.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The Italians fought and lost to Robert Moses’s wrecking whims; Puerto Ricans who could fled to Jersey for the privilege of a backyard.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
However, watering during weeks where the weather dips below 40 degrees is not advised, as the ground could be frozen and the water would run off and be wasted.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Instead, the state has wasted money on projects like the high-speed rail boondoggle, which is years behind schedule and tens of billions over budget, diverting important infrastructure resources.—
Baruch Feigenbaum,
Oc Register,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squandered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squandered. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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