1
as in luxuries
an instance of spending money or resources without care or restraint
it seems like a waste to spend my entire paycheck on a bigger TV
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deserts
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops
an area that was a barren waste after the strip-mining had ended
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in expanses
a wide space or area
a legendary mariner doomed to sail the watery wastes of the world until Judgment Day
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in erosions
a gradual weakening, loss, or destruction
the slow waste of the once broad beach by the relentless tide
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in spends
to use up carelessly
he wasted his lottery winnings on booze-soaked nights with gold diggers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroys
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
one country attempting to waste another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in weakens
to diminish the physical strength of
endless months of inactivity wasted him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wastes
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
This digital commute creates heat and wastes power.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Mar. 2026
Other medications act like poison, killing kidney tubule cells, which help to filter wastes and reabsorb nutrients.
—Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Watering between 10 am and 4 pm wastes water; most of it evaporates before reaching roots.
—Kate McKenna, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026
If economic rationality alone served as the driving reason for enclosure, then privatizing wastes, land considered no good for farming, would have made no sense.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Each unsuccessful treatment takes, and wastes, precious time.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 18 Feb. 2026
The structure of geopolymers can also be designed to act as adsorbents, attracting toxic metals in wastewater and capturing and storing radioactive wastes.
—Alcina Johnson Sudagar, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
Acute wastes are those that could kill, permanently incapacitate or otherwise seriously harm people through even small exposures.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2026
This not only wastes money and product, but also exposes pollinators and other wildlife to unnecessary chemicals.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
Traditional manufacturing of refractory metals wastes up to 95% of the raw material through machining – removing unwanted material to create the precise shape – but 3D printing can bring that figure close to zero.
—Vitor Rielli, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
Fife, the civil rights attorney, said counties’ failures to release people wastes taxpayer dollars but also robs people of their jobs, families and health care.
—Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Compared to many other countries, Texas wastes an extraordinary amount of water through outdated infrastructure, inefficient consumption, and lack of innovation.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Puffing also wastes fuel and risks damaging the engine if done repeatedly — another reason drivers shouldn’t make a habit out of it.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
Pekau responded to the decision with a blog post maintaining the lawsuit is politically motivated and wastes taxpayer money.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Attempting to pursue an offer without meeting these requirements wastes time and money while interest and penalties continue to accrue.
—Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 19 Jan. 2026
Noun
Placental Mammals Placental mammal, (infraclass Eutheria), any member of the mammalian group characterized by the presence of a placenta, which facilitates exchange of nutrients and wastes between the blood of the mother and that of the fetus.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
This digital commute creates heat and wastes power.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Mar. 2026
Other medications act like poison, killing kidney tubule cells, which help to filter wastes and reabsorb nutrients.
—Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Watering between 10 am and 4 pm wastes water; most of it evaporates before reaching roots.
—Kate McKenna, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026
If economic rationality alone served as the driving reason for enclosure, then privatizing wastes, land considered no good for farming, would have made no sense.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Each unsuccessful treatment takes, and wastes, precious time.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 18 Feb. 2026
The structure of geopolymers can also be designed to act as adsorbents, attracting toxic metals in wastewater and capturing and storing radioactive wastes.
—Alcina Johnson Sudagar, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
Acute wastes are those that could kill, permanently incapacitate or otherwise seriously harm people through even small exposures.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
War wastes innocent lives, trillions of dollars and time better spent on, for example, global climate change and the necessary global cooperation needed to address it.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2026
This not only wastes money and product, but also exposes pollinators and other wildlife to unnecessary chemicals.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
Traditional manufacturing of refractory metals wastes up to 95% of the raw material through machining – removing unwanted material to create the precise shape – but 3D printing can bring that figure close to zero.
—Vitor Rielli, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
Fife, the civil rights attorney, said counties’ failures to release people wastes taxpayer dollars but also robs people of their jobs, families and health care.
—Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Compared to many other countries, Texas wastes an extraordinary amount of water through outdated infrastructure, inefficient consumption, and lack of innovation.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Puffing also wastes fuel and risks damaging the engine if done repeatedly — another reason drivers shouldn’t make a habit out of it.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
Pekau responded to the decision with a blog post maintaining the lawsuit is politically motivated and wastes taxpayer money.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Attempting to pursue an offer without meeting these requirements wastes time and money while interest and penalties continue to accrue.
—Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wastes
Noun
-
The Swiss chocolatier Lindt even published research this month showing consumers of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic exhibited greater demand for high-end candy — apparently driven by a desire for small luxuries.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Major dental work to remove her broken and decaying teeth, concentrated nutrition, antibiotics, vaccines, a spay surgery and an introduction to such simple luxuries as an indoor bed and gentle touch have all been part of Gertie’s healing.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Stephanie Morton, executive director of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies-The Montana Coalition, said more than half of Montana's counties are designated as maternity care deserts.—
Katheryn Houghton,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Post-Order 66 Jedi are often just lesser versions of Obi-Wan Kenobi or Yoda, skulking around in swamps and deserts, but this duo can't seem to stay away from the action.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That's why there's no greater joy in journalism than driving through the great expanses of the West.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The world’s continents are fringed by vast expanses of sand and mud.—
David George Haskell,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
He’s known for building intentional cracks and erosions into his works, which often reveal an interior geology of materials like crystals or gears, and more recently, labyrinth staircases populated with small figures, not unlike a surreal antique dollhouse.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
These erosions leak into other areas of law.—
Emily Galvin Almanza,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Whether or not a school-age child spends their school day on a screen shouldn’t be dependent on where mom or dad can find a job.—
Abby McCloskey,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Rochester, for example, spends about 250,000 pounds ($330,000) a year on music, a substantial outlay for a provincial cathedral but less than some.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rototilling also destroys earthworms and the critical beneficial microbes that interact with plant roots to keep them healthy.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Because scarring alopecia destroys the hair follicles, the resulting hair loss is permanent.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Similar to airline tickets or ride-sharing fares, prices may rise when demand exceeds available seats and fall when demand weakens.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
This shift ignores local differences and weakens a decentralized model that has allowed rules to be tailored to the realities of each state.—
Cláudia Nunes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Still, Stroheim’s spending was out of control—literally so, insofar as attempting to rein him in seemed to provoke new extravagances.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2026
-
The more exciting news for everyone who can’t afford such extravagances is that Malone is promising new music by then.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
4 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wastes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wastes. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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