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
New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2025
Cutting off funding mid-trial wastes research dollars and puts patients at risk.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 18 Nov. 2025
In response, Professor Kotohiro Nomura and his team at Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a highly efficient method to selectively depolymerize PET from bottles and textile wastes.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 Nov. 2025
In addition to unnecessary engine wear, the Environmental Protection Agency says letting your car idle causes air pollution and wastes fuel.
—Jalen Williams, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
Other younger-generation consumers say there’s really no advantage to using cash and complain that getting some wastes time.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025
Facilities owned by companies with positive net income, according to their income statements obtained from PitchBook, a company that collects data on corporations, released an average of 40% of their toxic-chemical-containing wastes to the environment.
—Jennifer Brodmann, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2025
Even a short one wastes time and money as federal employees implement, and then undo, extensive plans — and there’s no indication so far that this shutdown will be short.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Its body recycles urea and other nitrogenous wastes into proteins to stave off muscle loss.
—Gloria Dickie, Outside, 24 Sep. 2025
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Jan. 2026
Proposition 50 mocks California voters and wastes hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in the process.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
That clogs the judicial system, wastes limited resources, and delays justice for those with legitimate grievances.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Families are struggling with rising costs while City Hall wastes millions.
—Miami Herald Staff, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2025
On one end, the industry uses millions of tons of pollutive fibers for fashion; the other wastes millions of tons of agri-residue.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 6 Oct. 2025
The average driver in Sacramento and its surrounding cities and suburbs wastes $1,518 and 62 hours of their life sitting in traffic each year, a new report found.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Nutrition just isn’t something Preller wastes time on.
—Brittany Ghiroli, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
But saying goodbye to Abbie and Rory wastes too much valuable time, and now the trio is surrounded.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
Waste is retrieved from aging tanks, contamination plumes are treated, and the vitrification plant has begun immobilizing certain high-level radioactive wastes in glass, a milestone that reshapes the future of the site but doesn’t soften its complexity.
—New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2025
Cutting off funding mid-trial wastes research dollars and puts patients at risk.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 18 Nov. 2025
In response, Professor Kotohiro Nomura and his team at Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a highly efficient method to selectively depolymerize PET from bottles and textile wastes.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 Nov. 2025
In addition to unnecessary engine wear, the Environmental Protection Agency says letting your car idle causes air pollution and wastes fuel.
—Jalen Williams, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
Other younger-generation consumers say there’s really no advantage to using cash and complain that getting some wastes time.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025
Facilities owned by companies with positive net income, according to their income statements obtained from PitchBook, a company that collects data on corporations, released an average of 40% of their toxic-chemical-containing wastes to the environment.
—Jennifer Brodmann, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2025
Even a short one wastes time and money as federal employees implement, and then undo, extensive plans — and there’s no indication so far that this shutdown will be short.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Its body recycles urea and other nitrogenous wastes into proteins to stave off muscle loss.
—Gloria Dickie, Outside, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
Leaving grow lights on around the clock stresses your plants and wastes energy.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Jan. 2026
Proposition 50 mocks California voters and wastes hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in the process.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
That clogs the judicial system, wastes limited resources, and delays justice for those with legitimate grievances.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Families are struggling with rising costs while City Hall wastes millions.
—Miami Herald Staff, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2025
On one end, the industry uses millions of tons of pollutive fibers for fashion; the other wastes millions of tons of agri-residue.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 6 Oct. 2025
The average driver in Sacramento and its surrounding cities and suburbs wastes $1,518 and 62 hours of their life sitting in traffic each year, a new report found.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Nutrition just isn’t something Preller wastes time on.
—Brittany Ghiroli, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
But saying goodbye to Abbie and Rory wastes too much valuable time, and now the trio is surrounded.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wastes
Noun
-
That was the first post-pandemic year in which makers of hard luxuries felt serious competition from providers of luxury experiences, with the latter often winning out.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Now, normally, one of my frequent luxuries is Jelly Bellies.—
Abigail Wise,
Outside,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Chase Travel Chase Travel’s 26 Trips to Take in 2026 highlights where booking demand and cultural curiosity are converging, with destinations spanning rugged deserts, coastal hideaways, Arctic wilderness, and global cultural capitals.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Over 35% of counties in America are considered OB deserts, or maternal care deserts, meaning there aren’t any obstetric clinicians or hospitals or birth centers providing obstetric care.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Large expanses of seats were unused during the third-bottom home side’s 2-1 defeat to Forest, who are in 17th place, on Tuesday.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Trudging across six lanes of highway, and expanses of parking lot, to reach Soldier Field never had many fans, but there is zero romance in this new spot.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Rivals Fox News Channel and CNN are seen experiencing similar erosions in that period.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2025
-
Erosive gastritis develops when inflammation damages the stomach lining, leading to ulcers (open sores) and shallow breaks (erosions).—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
22 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The Cowboys have mastered the art of entertaining and interesting better than any sports franchise in the world, but there is a redundancy that to the person who spends a lot of their money on it is justifiably checked out.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Browns Cleveland boasts an elite defense led by the league’s best pass rusher, an owner who spends more cash than any other team and a promising nucleus from the 2025 draft class.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
One such affliction is Tay-Sachs, a disease that disproportionately affects people of Ashkenazi descent and destroys brain and spinal nerve cells.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The movie follows a similar arc, with an additional subplot in which the creature destroys the city while under the influence of a powerful demon.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
An overreliance on tools weakens our civilization (and saps the film’s dramatic thrills).—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Ignoring this reality weakens any serious climate plan.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The profits from the nursing homes fueled his luxury cars, elegant homes and other extravagances, including, famously, a $360,000 watch.—
Kevin G. Hall,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wastes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wastes. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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