squander

verb

ˈskwän-dər How to pronounce squander (audio)
Definition of squandernext
1
as in to spend
to use up carelessly squandered all her money gambling in casinos

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disperse
to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart a single blast of the shotgun squandered the herd of deer

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 squander However, conventional disposal tactics like landfills and incineration trigger severe environmental pollution while squandering valuable resources. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026 Israelis poured into the streets, outraged that Netanyahu had squandered opportunities to reach a deal that might have saved them. — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026 There’s so much potential in American Hostage, mostly squandered. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026 Bidding to clinch a wild-card berth, the Red Sox squandered a prime opportunity in the top of the ninth. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for squander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squander
  1. spend
  2. disperse
  3. lose
  4. waste
Verb
  • Hochul's announcement came shortly after dozens of students and community members spent hours demanding transparency and accountability from university leaders at a forum sponsored by Cornell's student government.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Earlier this year, César Alvarez spent far too much of their play The Potluck having their onstage avatar wiggle around on the hook of writing The Potluck.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of spend
Verb
  • Federal wildlife managers euthanized 28,000 animals in California in 2025 and dispersed about 1 million more as part of a nationwide program meant to control invasive species and minimize danger to people, pets and livestock, new data shows.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Kettling was popularized in the 1990s, when activists started using information technologies to outmaneuver police attempting to disperse their protests.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of disperse
Verb
  • House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said there could be a homestead exemption or a mechanism that ensures people don’t lose their housing.
    — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Peggy Tanous isn’t there because she was inexplicably invited to RHUGT instead, and Peggy Sulahian isn’t there because Alex Baskin lost her number the second that season ended.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of lose
Verb
  • Shinn gave examples that will sound familiar to anyone who has wasted part of an afternoon on hold.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Spending heavily here is the most common way companies waste money on AI because there’s nothing underneath to make the spend productive.
    — Shweta Gummidipudi, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of waste

Browse Nearby Words

squamous
squander
squandered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Squander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squander. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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