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
Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 6 June 2026
The legendary musician opened up about living with inclusion body myositis (IBM), which, according to Johns Hopkins, is an inflammatory muscle-wasting disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness.
—Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
Young players can be hard to predict in their development timelines, and with young stars Moritz Seider (25) and Lucas Raymond (24) entering their primes, a step back could risk wasting their best years in the same way Larkin’s were.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Brands diving in without a plan can end up wasting time, budget, or worse, credibility.
—Wyles Daniel
june 4, Idaho Statesman, 4 June 2026
This will end the practice of a player getting medical attention but staying in the game, which sometimes would be a time-wasting move.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
So instead of experimenting with potentially dangerous sleep-optimization practices or wasting time on hacks that don’t move the needle, try leaning into what sleep experts have been saying for years — practice good sleep hygiene.
—Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Getting warships into the water is hard enough without wasting funds on vessels unlikely ever to sail.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
After spending most of Friday night wasting scoring opportunities, Adrian Lopez and his USC teammates headed into the ninth inning with plenty of confidence.
—Jose De Jesus Ortiz, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Verb
Fans cool people, not rooms, so turning them off in empty spaces avoids wasting energy.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 6 June 2026
The legendary musician opened up about living with inclusion body myositis (IBM), which, according to Johns Hopkins, is an inflammatory muscle-wasting disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness.
—Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
Young players can be hard to predict in their development timelines, and with young stars Moritz Seider (25) and Lucas Raymond (24) entering their primes, a step back could risk wasting their best years in the same way Larkin’s were.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Brands diving in without a plan can end up wasting time, budget, or worse, credibility.
—Wyles Daniel
june 4, Idaho Statesman, 4 June 2026
This will end the practice of a player getting medical attention but staying in the game, which sometimes would be a time-wasting move.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
So instead of experimenting with potentially dangerous sleep-optimization practices or wasting time on hacks that don’t move the needle, try leaning into what sleep experts have been saying for years — practice good sleep hygiene.
—Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Getting warships into the water is hard enough without wasting funds on vessels unlikely ever to sail.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
After spending most of Friday night wasting scoring opportunities, Adrian Lopez and his USC teammates headed into the ninth inning with plenty of confidence.
—Jose De Jesus Ortiz, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wasting
Adjective
-
The city controller has no power over local policy, legislation or the city’s budget, but can often shed light on wasteful spending or fraud and pressure politicians by releasing audits and reports on city departments.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?—
Eden Stuart,
Allure,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
After spending some time by the pool, a semi-Olympic lined with emerald and malachite mosaics that glinted in the soft, ambient light, followed by a quick trip to the sauna, I was escorted to my treatment room, about a half-flight of stairs up, where I was met by Marcia, my therapist.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
These features help give you an idea of your most up-to-date financial status without spending much time manually logging information or allocating every dollar.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
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It was compounded when a West Contra Costa storage unit caught fire, destroying Alvin’s belongings, their mother testified.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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Truly domesticating bees required a hive with movable frames, one that would allow beekeepers to examine their bees and harvest honey without destroying the colony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Verb
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In conclusion, autonomous AI risks undermining the essential human spirit of science and weakening its role as an arbiter of social conflicts.—
Mohammad Hosseini,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2026
-
Critics argue the measures risk worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis on the island without meaningfully weakening the government.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Polished enough for the global luxury buyer without losing contact with the raw material that made the coast desirable in the first place.—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
While Journalism’s third at the Grade 2 Oaklawn in his 2026 debut was disappointing, there’s no shame in losing to White Abarrio and Sovereignty.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Two runners scored, ruining Tech ace Nijaree Canady’s shutout.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
-
The Los Angeles Dodgers are ruining baseball.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
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With inflation surging, wages softening and borrowing costs high thanks to elevated interest rates, the incentive to protect this money is particularly strong now.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
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But softening Republican support on specific policy matters — including top voter priorities, such as the economy — have begun raising questions among experts whether further erosion is possible.—
Ana Ceballos,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Avoid the impulse to label someone as cheap or profligate after one or two dates, AARP advises.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
The measure is clearly a state limit on profligate local governments’ ability to raise taxes.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wasting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wasting. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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