as in wasteful
given to spending money freely or foolishly
the nightclub's ridiculous prices seem geared to squandering revelers with more money than sense
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in spending
to use up carelessly
squandered all her money gambling in casinos
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dispersing
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
as in wastefulness
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squandering
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Jay King, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Knueppel would end up being the tourney MVP and helping Duke get to the Final Four, where the Blue Devils lost to Houston after squandering a six-point lead in the final 35 seconds.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025
In other words, living rent-free wasn’t a gateway to partying, drinking, and squandering my money away.
—Essence, 19 Sep. 2025
Without proper communication, guidance and planning, wealth and legacies can be lost to taxes, squandering, conflicts or simply forgotten.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
As the frequency of terrorist attacks increases, the new Syrian government risks squandering its political legitimacy by failing to protect the country’s minorities.
—Caroline Rose, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
In keeping with the MrBeast energy, Bargatze regularly kept viewers updated with how much money the winners were earning, and squandering.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The Red Sox got a run back on Masataka Yoshida’s RBI single in the third, but the club later stranded men at the corners in both the fourth and sixth, squandering what turned out to be the club’s last scoring opportunities.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
If the effort once again stalls, reform advocates say, Congress risks squandering what may be its best chance in a decade to act.
—Nik Popli, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Kiké Hernández followed with a flyout to complete the squandering.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
The Celtics, in danger of squandering their once-endless pile of assets, needed a do-everything big man to complement Tatum and Brown on the court while lifting the young stars closer to their potential each day.
—Jay King, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Knueppel would end up being the tourney MVP and helping Duke get to the Final Four, where the Blue Devils lost to Houston after squandering a six-point lead in the final 35 seconds.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025
In other words, living rent-free wasn’t a gateway to partying, drinking, and squandering my money away.
—Essence, 19 Sep. 2025
Without proper communication, guidance and planning, wealth and legacies can be lost to taxes, squandering, conflicts or simply forgotten.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
As the frequency of terrorist attacks increases, the new Syrian government risks squandering its political legitimacy by failing to protect the country’s minorities.
—Caroline Rose, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
In keeping with the MrBeast energy, Bargatze regularly kept viewers updated with how much money the winners were earning, and squandering.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The Red Sox got a run back on Masataka Yoshida’s RBI single in the third, but the club later stranded men at the corners in both the fourth and sixth, squandering what turned out to be the club’s last scoring opportunities.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
If the effort once again stalls, reform advocates say, Congress risks squandering what may be its best chance in a decade to act.
—Nik Popli, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squandering
Adjective
-
Insurers have long argued that prior authorization reduces fraud and wasteful spending, as well as prevents potential harm.—
Lauren Sausser,
NBC news,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Democrats have seized on the reversals as evidence that the cuts were hasty and wasteful.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This summer’s transfer window was a record-setting one, with Premier League teams spending more than £3billion — seven of the 20 clubs paid the highest fee in their history — as the division outspent Europe’s other four major leagues combined.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
In 2024, Detroit Free Press' Georgea Kovanis shared her experiences spending a year, along with photographer Mandi Wright, with Amanda, a woman addicted to drugs who is helping others like her, distributing harm reduction items that have saved lives.—
Detroit Free Press staff,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Many others have also left quietly, dispersing across continents, carrying stories like mine.—
Sonny Alejandra,
Time,
18 Sep. 2025
-
But the protoplanetary disks around these massive stars only last around 2 million years before dispersing — and that's not quite enough time to create gas giants.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Space.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Núñez, despite his occasional wastefulness in front of goal, was a very useful option in the position and brought great energy and dynamism to the team.—
James Nalton,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Arsenal’s wastefulness on the break was evident nine minutes into the game.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Denim has long been branded one of the most climate-adverse, chemical-heavy, water-wasting fabrics to mill and manufacture.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Talk about wasting our valuable resource.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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How long Beto remains in the line-up will be determined by whether Saturday’s profligacy comes to be seen as an anomaly or the norm.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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More political turmoil in the world fourth-largest economy could rattle the bond market as investors gauge whether the next leader will lean toward fiscal discipline or more profligacy.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In August, a single-engine Piper PA-28 crash landed on southbound Interstate 805 in Sorrento Valley after the pilot noticed the engine was sputtering and losing power.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Sep. 2025
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Postpartum hemorrhaging is the most common cause of women losing their lives in birth.—
Belinda Luscombe,
Time,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Battery Life Apple improved battery life in the iPhone 17 Pro through better heat dissipation and by creating more space for a bigger battery.—
Jakob Schiller,
Outside,
23 Sep. 2025
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Shortcomings, however, were noted in heat dissipation, battery life, and the single rear camera.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squandering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squandering. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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