as in wasteful
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1
as in spending
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 destroying
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 weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
endless months of inactivity wasted him
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wasting
Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Jan. 2026
Owning my gear has significantly streamlined my travel experience — no more wasting time in long rental lines, dealing with mystery-smelling boots that have seen better days, or forking out cash for rentals every season.
—Erica Paige, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2025
No more wasting time.
—Dallas News, 4 Oct. 2022
One that’s too large may be overkill, using up too much electricity and unnecessarily wasting floor space.
—Brett Dvoretz, chicagotribune.com, 1 Apr. 2021
The highly contagious disease was so wasting and terrifying that those who died of it were believed to leave their graves, infecting relatives and draining away blood and life, scholars have said.
—Author: Michael E. Ruane, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Aug. 2019
Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Shares of Sarepta rose more than 20% in early trading Wednesday after the company presented preliminary data on a pair of treatments for rare, muscle-wasting diseases.
—Damian Garde, STAT, 25 Mar. 2026
Such a designation, evidently, would save agents from wasting time chasing phantoms.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
Avoid space-wasting moves, such as storing tall bottles on the same shelf as short cocktail tumblers.
—Amy Panos, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Mar. 2026
The tube is filled with 1 fluid ounce of cream and is capped with a small pump to get the perfect amount of serum—without losing or wasting any precious product.
—Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Counter to the lyrics from the classic Jimmy Buffett song, the over-200 patrons inside the Kansas City, Kansas hotel based on the yacht rock icon Saturday, March 7, weren’t wasting anything — especially tequila.
—Joseph Hernandez
march 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Mar. 2026
Knowing when a brown avocado is safe to eat can save you from wasting perfectly good fruit.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 9 Mar. 2026
Hurzeler was constantly in the ear of fourth official David Webb during Wednesday night’s match and also complained to referee Chris Kavanagh about Arsenal’s time-wasting tactics.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
No more wasting time using a cutter or, even worse, shredding by hand.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Jan. 2026
Owning my gear has significantly streamlined my travel experience — no more wasting time in long rental lines, dealing with mystery-smelling boots that have seen better days, or forking out cash for rentals every season.
—Erica Paige, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2025
No more wasting time.
—Dallas News, 4 Oct. 2022
One that’s too large may be overkill, using up too much electricity and unnecessarily wasting floor space.
—Brett Dvoretz, chicagotribune.com, 1 Apr. 2021
The highly contagious disease was so wasting and terrifying that those who died of it were believed to leave their graves, infecting relatives and draining away blood and life, scholars have said.
—Author: Michael E. Ruane, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Aug. 2019
Verb
First-year manager Craig Stammen is wasting little time getting his bench players into the starting lineup.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Shares of Sarepta rose more than 20% in early trading Wednesday after the company presented preliminary data on a pair of treatments for rare, muscle-wasting diseases.
—Damian Garde, STAT, 25 Mar. 2026
Such a designation, evidently, would save agents from wasting time chasing phantoms.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
Avoid space-wasting moves, such as storing tall bottles on the same shelf as short cocktail tumblers.
—Amy Panos, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Mar. 2026
The tube is filled with 1 fluid ounce of cream and is capped with a small pump to get the perfect amount of serum—without losing or wasting any precious product.
—Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Counter to the lyrics from the classic Jimmy Buffett song, the over-200 patrons inside the Kansas City, Kansas hotel based on the yacht rock icon Saturday, March 7, weren’t wasting anything — especially tequila.
—Joseph Hernandez
march 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Mar. 2026
Knowing when a brown avocado is safe to eat can save you from wasting perfectly good fruit.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 9 Mar. 2026
Hurzeler was constantly in the ear of fourth official David Webb during Wednesday night’s match and also complained to referee Chris Kavanagh about Arsenal’s time-wasting tactics.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wasting
Adjective
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Yet many now think of it as a wasteful ritual requiring compliance to petty rules.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In both cases, spending by campaign staff may also count toward those totals.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Economists had believed that an unusually large jump in tax refunds would kick start spending at the start of the year.—
Anne D'Innocenzio,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Will Trump adopt Putin-style tactics by destroying power plants or even desalination plants in what could amount to an attack on the beleaguered Iranian people themselves?—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In the weeks since, fears of a long-term occupation of southern Lebanon have grown, with Israel moving to establish a buffer zone in the area, leveling homes and destroying bridges over the Litani River, which connects the south to the rest of Lebanon, while taking control of what crossings remain.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Seniors are the most reliable midterm voters in the country, and with the 2026 elections approaching and affordability already their top concern, weakening this program is a risk Republicans should not be taking.—
Joe Hardy,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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However, rejecting the goal of citizenship verification altogether risks weakening public confidence in the system.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But adding regular walking helps signal the body to maintain lean tissue while losing fat.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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And the league nearly got five teams there, with Michigan State losing a tight contest with UConn on Friday night.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Accused of ruining baseball with their big-spending ways the past two years, the noise has only gotten louder as a labor showdown looms.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
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To figure out its mechanism, Julius’s team had to somehow extract it from cells without ruining the very properties the researchers were trying to understand.—
Jacek Krywko,
Scientific American,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On the other hand, taupe bags work just as well with bold color pairings, softening them with a sense of ease.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
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So far lawmakers haven’t, slowing, softening and then shooting down a bipartisan measure that would have enlisted the state Department of Agriculture to take on the burgeoning pest.—
Mark Dee
March 31,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But profligate spending wasn’t the only way inflation weighed on bonds.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
20 Mar. 2026
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This season on the road, Newcastle have been particularly profligate in possession.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wasting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wasting. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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