1
as in spends
to use up carelessly
squandered all her money gambling in casinos
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disperses
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of squanders
Trapping individuals in endless cycles of exclusion and financial hardship squanders potential, reduces tax revenue and widens disparities.
—
Brian Fabes, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Too bad, because along the way Borgli squanders some fine performances.
—Moira MacDonald, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
However, while singular moments are presented with clarity, the film often squanders its emotional momentum.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
Instead, the movie squanders Knight’s talent for delivery and hands him an awkward slapstick bit that feels like work just to watch.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2025
Either the Broncos offense wakes up, or this team squanders all of the goodwill from beating the Eagles last week.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
But Team Blue ultimately squanders their lead, completely botching the puzzle as the other two tribes smoke theirs.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 1 Oct. 2025
Brian Fabes, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Too bad, because along the way Borgli squanders some fine performances.
—Moira MacDonald, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
However, while singular moments are presented with clarity, the film often squanders its emotional momentum.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
Instead, the movie squanders Knight’s talent for delivery and hands him an awkward slapstick bit that feels like work just to watch.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2025
Either the Broncos offense wakes up, or this team squanders all of the goodwill from beating the Eagles last week.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
But Team Blue ultimately squanders their lead, completely botching the puzzle as the other two tribes smoke theirs.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squanders
Verb
-
Baltimore County spends significantly less per resident on fire and EMS services than many comparable jurisdictions.—
Nick Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
-
San Francisco currently spends about $700 million to $800 million per year on homelessness, aided by the passage in 2018 of the Proposition C gross receipts tax on businesses with annual revenue greater than $50 million, but has yet to make a dent in its intractable homelessness problem.—
Adam B. Summers,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Rodighiero and her team already have their suspicions about how the red and blue monsters can coexist in the early universe—perhaps the blue galaxies are in fact born from the red ones as the dust disperses.—
Jenna Ahart,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Once shots are heard in the video, the crowd quickly disperses or takes cover.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Yet, the feast of fashion and style doesn’t make up for a sparse plot that loses its steam by the third episode.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
An antagonist who feels himself a protagonist, Salieri is the main character of the play, and to a great extent, the film, while Mozart functions as the unwitting instrument through which Salieri loses his faith in God.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
This requires drivers to go to the nearest station, which wastes a lot of time for both drivers and officers.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
Why do Californians, most of whom also believe the state wastes taxpayer money anyway, support the BWT?—
Robertas Bakula,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squanders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squanders. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
