as in wasteful
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2025
The biggest mistake that girls make when going into the interview portion of the pageant, Alverson says, is wasting their interview time on unnecessary, pandering statements.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Testing the market by pricing high is becoming a losing and time-wasting strategy.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
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, 21 Oct. 2025
Simply put, the Yankees can find better options for their bullpen, as opposed to wasting a roster spot on Hamilton.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Late in the half Miami seemed poised to knot the score but settled for a 27-yard field goal, partly wasting Toney’s 61-yard catch and run to the Louisville nine.
—Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
But researchers working on sea star wasting disease simply didn’t have much to work from.
—JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Recovering and processing that gas, instead of wasting it, could ease Iraq's chronic power shortages.
—Emma Graham, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2025
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 California Republican Party, which was supposed to serve as the No side’s get-out-the-vote force, has been accused of wasting millions of dollars on a mail program.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2025
The biggest mistake that girls make when going into the interview portion of the pageant, Alverson says, is wasting their interview time on unnecessary, pandering statements.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Testing the market by pricing high is becoming a losing and time-wasting strategy.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
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, 21 Oct. 2025
Simply put, the Yankees can find better options for their bullpen, as opposed to wasting a roster spot on Hamilton.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Late in the half Miami seemed poised to knot the score but settled for a 27-yard field goal, partly wasting Toney’s 61-yard catch and run to the Louisville nine.
—Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
But researchers working on sea star wasting disease simply didn’t have much to work from.
—JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Recovering and processing that gas, instead of wasting it, could ease Iraq's chronic power shortages.
—Emma Graham, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wasting
Adjective
-
Paul Taylor What the data says Forest’s Champions League push collapsed last season after wasteful finishing, and that profligacy has carried over into the new campaign.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
But dishcloths are less wasteful and very easy to clean and reuse.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
To be sure, the AI boom could deliver that revenue surge—but even slight weakening in spending growth across the industry could hit CoreWeave disproportionately.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
-
For example, financial therapist Aja Evans recommends leaning into self-care activities that cost little to no money, like going outside and spending time with family and friends.—
Gili Malinsky,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
And candidates who stoked fear in voters — with the threat of towering multi-family complexes destroying their communities or costly local infrastructure projects driving up taxes — lost by clear margins.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Derek Lopez, 27, was fired from his role at the university after he was caught on camera destroying a Turning Point display.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
That goes even further than DESI's hints at weakening dark energy.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The central bank cut its benchmark rate for the second time this year at its most recent meeting, in part to help bolster the economy amid a weakening job market.—
Fortune,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Buffalo Bills followed up an impressive win over the Kansas City Chiefs, their long-time AFC nemesis, with an almost inexplicable flop against the Miami Dolphins in Week 10, losing 30-13 on the road.—
Max Dible,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
-
When considering improvement, Berzin suggests focusing on changing the ratio of muscle to fat rather than simply losing weight.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Chiefs have seen some of league’s premier running backs — such as Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs — and have met each challenge, preventing those elite players from ruining the defensive game plan.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Clark reiterated his belief that the Dodgers are not ruining baseball.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The seasonal shift to cheaper winter-blend gasoline could help offset cost increases related to the refinery fire, softening the impact for drivers.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
In what could be another sign of a softening labor market, October layoffs jumped 175% from a year ago to 153,074, the highest level since 2003, Challenger, Gray & Christmas said.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Of course, the same folks who said Trump’s tariffs would cause runaway inflation also said Biden’s profligate spending wouldn’t cause inflation.—
E.J. Antoni,
Boston Herald,
13 July 2025
-
Dembele, once a creative, two-footed but profligate winger who Luis Enrique coached into a prolific striker, has not started any of the five Club World Cup games.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wasting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wasting. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share