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
Buffalo squandered a three-goal lead before rallying from a two-goal deficit to win 8-7 in an outing that featured more than 100 penalty minutes.
—
ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Giants squandered a fantastic seven-inning start by Logan Webb.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles couldn't get a runner into scoring position, while Seattle squandered back-to-back hits with one out in the fourth.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
The club nearly squandered the opportunity again when Story struck out and Andruw Monasterio, who pinch hit for Jarren Duran to set up a righty-on-lefty matchup, grounded one back to the mound for what should have been an inning-ending 1-4-3 double play.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
The Royals also squandered chances in the fourth and sixth innings.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
Illinois squandered a nine-point second-half lead and lost in overtime to end a 12-game winning streak.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Duke rival North Carolina squandered a 19-point lead in the second half to lose a first-round game against VCU.
—Josh Dubow, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
The most infamous being the 2016 Finals, when the Warriors squandered a 3-1 lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Giants squandered a fantastic seven-inning start by Logan Webb.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles couldn't get a runner into scoring position, while Seattle squandered back-to-back hits with one out in the fourth.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
The club nearly squandered the opportunity again when Story struck out and Andruw Monasterio, who pinch hit for Jarren Duran to set up a righty-on-lefty matchup, grounded one back to the mound for what should have been an inning-ending 1-4-3 double play.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
The Royals also squandered chances in the fourth and sixth innings.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
Illinois squandered a nine-point second-half lead and lost in overtime to end a 12-game winning streak.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Duke rival North Carolina squandered a 19-point lead in the second half to lose a first-round game against VCU.
—Josh Dubow, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
The most infamous being the 2016 Finals, when the Warriors squandered a 3-1 lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squandered
Verb
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Del Río collaborates with the National Institute of Anthropology and History and has spent three decades exploring the cenotes.—
Ryan Brennan
April 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Freshman Blanca Quinonez, who helped carry the team through poor offensive performances in the Fort Worth regional, spent most of the game on the bench due to foul trouble and finished with just five points and two turnovers.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The crowd still debated defiance but dispersed at the last possible moment.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That said, Saturday's attendance was difficult to estimate since the crowd was dispersed around the Statehouse grounds.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Elders living alone who can no longer cook or clean, who stopped paying their bills or answering the door, who aren’t taking their meds or bathing themselves, who are lost or don’t remember to turn off a stove might get a visit from an adult protective investigator.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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In 2025, the Lions lost a lot of high scoring games, but with Monroe’s consistent pitching success, the team is more well-rounded with an ability to win close, low scoring bouts.—
Charles Baggarly
April 2,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Heat nearly wasted a 15-point second-half lead, but held on in a contest that included 14 lead changes to improve to 2-7 over its last nine games.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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At locations with little or no planning for floods, contaminants could be released into surrounding communities and taxpayer dollars already invested in remediation could be wasted, the review found.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squandered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squandered. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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