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
In its campaign over the past year, the MAGA movement has squandered what might have been a reasonable position.
—
Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
The Giants squandered so much of that love and labor.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
The Kings had squandered talent, particularly in the 2023 offseason, before losing players in free agency and due to trade requests.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Peter Duesberg squandered his scientific reputation by advancing a debunked theory about AIDS, but his influence on anti-vaccine activists lives on, writes columnist Michael Hiltzik.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Atlanta still entered halftime with a comfortable 60-46 lead, however, after Boston squandered a chance to draw closer by botching the final possession of the half.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Forget the fact that the milk spiller was equally devastated to have squandered his treat all over his sister’s sweater.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 28 Jan. 2026
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
Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
The Giants squandered so much of that love and labor.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
The Kings had squandered talent, particularly in the 2023 offseason, before losing players in free agency and due to trade requests.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Peter Duesberg squandered his scientific reputation by advancing a debunked theory about AIDS, but his influence on anti-vaccine activists lives on, writes columnist Michael Hiltzik.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Atlanta still entered halftime with a comfortable 60-46 lead, however, after Boston squandered a chance to draw closer by botching the final possession of the half.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Forget the fact that the milk spiller was equally devastated to have squandered his treat all over his sister’s sweater.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 28 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squandered
Verb
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Scottish painter Gordon Coutts built villa Dar Marroc in 1924, using his time spent in the bohemian seaside city of Tangier as inspiration for both the design and the ethos of his new Palm Springs home.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
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Sky and his wife spent the day sharing their thoughts with reporters from CNN and CBS News, the BBC and NBC.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Randomly dispersed among the collectable cups nationwide will be 3,000 Golden Fan Cups.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
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Although there are a total of eight bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, plus a powder room, dispersed throughout the three-story pad, the primary suite is the showstopper.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meyer arrived with the players looking to regain ground, which some believe had been lost in CBA negotiations during 2011 and 2016.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Similarly, federal prosecutors have lost all five cases accusing protesters of assaulting federal officers that have gone to trial in the Los Angeles area, according to data from the US attorney’s office there as of earlier this month.—
Isabelle Chapman,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
So much of that money is wasted.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
-
That includes an encounter with Keegan (Brett Goldstein, wasted), a friendly Brit flying kites on the beach — kites do a lot of symbolic heavy lifting in flashbacks — to whom Laura confesses that boozing was her only way of letting go.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squandered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squandered. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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