SQUANDER Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

squander

verb

ˈskwän-dər

Definition of squander

as in to spend

to use up carelessly squandered all her money gambling in casinos

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Chinese leaders started to see rare earths as a natural resource the country could not afford to squander. — Gloria Xiong, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 The team’s good will had been squandered over the years by parting with a few of their best players. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 Campbell’s charge, then, was to get the Nittany Lions over the Mount Nittany-sized hump that squandered every season. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 Napheesa Collier had 20 points and nine rebounds, Kayla McBride scored 19 points and the WNBA-leading Minnesota Lynx nearly squandered a 29-point lead before holding off the Portland Fire 85-81 on Wednesday night. — CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for squander

Recent Examples of Synonyms for squander

Verb

Robert spent the prior six years with Chicago, hitting 38 home runs and stealing 20 bases in 2023, his best season and lone All-Star appearance.

— Will Sammon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
While higher earners had been spending more using credit cards, the institute said the gap across income classes began narrowing in May of this year.

— Alex Harring, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

At one point, police appeared to use pepper spray to disperse an area of the crowd, but a festive vibe quickly resumed.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
The Retired Police Canine Foundation was selected as the recipient of these funds and is in charge of dispersing them to handlers across the state.

— Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of disperse

Verb

After the launch of the iPhone in 2007 transformed the smartphone industry, BlackBerry fought hard to keep its consumer mobile division alive with new devices — but ultimately lost the battle.

— Arjun Kharpal,Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
How did Bi work for Bryan for any length of time without absolutely losing his mind?

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of lose

Verb

The next milestone will be moving beyond individual production lines and demonstrating that waste plastic-to-SAF systems can operate reliably, economically and at a scale to become a meaningful source of aviation fuel.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
The Dodgers dropped another one-run heartbreaker in Detroit, wasting Blake Snell’s five innings of one-run baseball as the Tigers walked off with a 2-1 win.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of waste

Browse Nearby Words

squamous

squander

squandered

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Squander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squander. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of squander

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes