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
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
Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
When monitoring is ignored, and problems go uncorrected, large federal programs can operate for years without adequate safeguards, wasting taxpayer dollars.
—Sheila Weinberg, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
With the Heat wasting a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in Thursday’s loss to the Celtics, Miami has now blown six double-digit leads in losses this season.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Football’s lawmakers will hold talks on how to combat deliberate time-wasting next week, with a countdown for throw-ins and goal-kicks and a time limit for substitutions being considered.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
See below for the best tips from professional cleaners on how to clean your blinds at home easily and efficiently, without wasting your whole day wiping them down.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
The Warriors had 15 turnovers but forced only 8, thus wasting big nights from their two offensive stars.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
Don’t bother wasting your money—using it more than once a day won’t yield ‘better’ or faster results.
—Ali Pantony, Glamour, 9 Jan. 2026
People become paralyzed by choice and the risk of wasting time on something bad.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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
The morning favors slow starts, nudging us to notice needs early and respond without wasting time.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
When monitoring is ignored, and problems go uncorrected, large federal programs can operate for years without adequate safeguards, wasting taxpayer dollars.
—Sheila Weinberg, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
With the Heat wasting a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in Thursday’s loss to the Celtics, Miami has now blown six double-digit leads in losses this season.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Football’s lawmakers will hold talks on how to combat deliberate time-wasting next week, with a countdown for throw-ins and goal-kicks and a time limit for substitutions being considered.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
See below for the best tips from professional cleaners on how to clean your blinds at home easily and efficiently, without wasting your whole day wiping them down.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
The Warriors had 15 turnovers but forced only 8, thus wasting big nights from their two offensive stars.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
Don’t bother wasting your money—using it more than once a day won’t yield ‘better’ or faster results.
—Ali Pantony, Glamour, 9 Jan. 2026
People become paralyzed by choice and the risk of wasting time on something bad.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wasting
Adjective
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Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
27 Jan. 2026
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Mohamed Salah's return provides an edge in open play, but against a side this unpredictable, Liverpool cannot afford to be wasteful.—
Sukhman Singh,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead of spending scarce early capital on headcount or agencies, founders can test more ideas, move faster and lower the cost of getting started.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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People are spending more time in the gym; zeroing in on wellness and longevity; and even planning their holidays around fitness and wellness offerings.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Modesto Fire Department Firefighters quickly contained and extinguished the fire, preventing it from destroying the home, officials said.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
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By the way, the last scene of The Conversation has the paranoid Gene Hackman destroying his apartment in a desperate and futile search for listening devices.—
Rose Horowitch,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran, said the images were aimed less at reassuring the public than at boosting morale among the regime’s weakening security forces.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
2 Feb. 2026
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Skies will be sunny, with winds weakening by the afternoon.—
Anthony Franze,
San Antonio Express-News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After losing two games at home over the past four days, ASU will look to break out of its shooting slump on the road at Coastal Carolina on Wednesday.—
Michael Harley,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
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Both had extreme highs and lows, were enveloped by intense criticism, struggled with bad stretches of losing and poor quarterback play — and each was fired during their fourth season on the job.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In fact, for some items, a standard cold wash can be ruining.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
30 Jan. 2026
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The Dodgers’ $240-million signing of Kyle Tucker revived anguished cries that the team is ruining baseball.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The lower house in the Dutch parliament approved a plan to scrap bonus restrictions for most financial sector staff, a major step in softening a rule that has long been excoriated by the industry.—
Sarah Jacob,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
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The remaining ingredients are (brace yourself) anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich, barrier-strengthening, moisture-retaining, pollution-protecting, and softening.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This season on the road, Newcastle have been particularly profligate in possession.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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The profligate spending of the Biden administration and the monetary mismanagement of the Federal Reserve caused both home prices and interest rates to skyrocket, a deadly one-two punch that knocked out the housing market.—
E.J. Antoni,
Mercury News,
28 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wasting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wasting. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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