1
as in spends
to use up carelessly
squandered all her money gambling in casinos
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of squanders
Over and over, Levinson squanders opportunities for humanization or interiority in favor of provocation.
—
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 28 May 2026
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
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 28 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squanders
Verb
-
The mother spends her waking hours working on other people’s farms and performing tasks the neighbors prefer not to do themselves.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
My daughter calls me a creative engineer, someone who spends her life creatively thinking about ways to provide live experiences that offer joy and beauty, or maybe more importantly, that challenge us to see things differently.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
29 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
-
Criminalization disperses suffering, while prevention reduces suffering.—
Ray Bramson,
Washington Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Big Papi loses to David Eckstein, leaves Minnesota, wins a ring with Boston.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
But police say the game wastes resources and could have severe unintended consequences.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
-
The script, credited to new collaborator Simon Lyashenko and Zvyagintsev and adapted freely from Chabrol’s 1969 thriller, wastes nothing, not even a throwaway comment at a restaurant dinner that Gleb and Galina attend about the last time Gleb cleaned his own house.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squanders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squanders. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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