1
as in misses
to be unable to find or have at hand
I always lose my keys
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drops
to fail to win, gain, or obtain
if the team loses this game, they're out of the play-offs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in falls
to undergo defeat
she really hates to lose at anything, and inevitably throws tantrums when it happens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in discards
to get rid of as useless or unwanted
we told the recent grad to lose the flashy shirts and dress conservatively for the job interview
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in spends
to use up carelessly
we lost a good hour while he tried to find his keys
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 loses
The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.
—
Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2026
When that function collapses and every joke is screened for loyalty, society loses one of its best safeguards against tribal conformity.
—Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.
—Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
When the goal is to reach and affect people, the point loses purpose without an audience.
—William Jones, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
After a divorce, the spouse who funded the trust loses the benefit of that cash flow.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
One scholarly paper found that the typical retiree who claims before 70 loses $182,370 in potential Social Security income.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
Historically, the party that controls the White House loses seats in Congress during the midterm elections.
—Jack Fink, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
There’s a fair amount at stake if the NFL loses its antitrust exemption, especially if individual teams start to sell their TV rights separately.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2026
When that function collapses and every joke is screened for loyalty, society loses one of its best safeguards against tribal conformity.
—Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.
—Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
When the goal is to reach and affect people, the point loses purpose without an audience.
—William Jones, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
After a divorce, the spouse who funded the trust loses the benefit of that cash flow.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
One scholarly paper found that the typical retiree who claims before 70 loses $182,370 in potential Social Security income.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
Historically, the party that controls the White House loses seats in Congress during the midterm elections.
—Jack Fink, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
There’s a fair amount at stake if the NFL loses its antitrust exemption, especially if individual teams start to sell their TV rights separately.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loses
Verb
-
Moreover, most studies recorded insurance status only at the time of diagnosis, which misses changes that happen during treatment.—
Rhonda Winegar,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Birdfy misses most often when a bird is too close to the camera, poorly lit, or facing away from the camera.—
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Often, though, the band drops the hauteur to reveal a surprising kind of kookiness.—
Jesse Dorris,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
-
For the poor guy who drops a rod into one, this is bad news because if the flows are up, nothing falls straight down.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That means Easter Sunday never falls later than April 25.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
-
On shrill winter nights, Moscow’s power is conspicuous, its Orthodox cathedrals and Stalinist high-rises illuminated, though the view falls dim in the autumn and spring, shrouded in sheets of greige.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Try the Storm Chaser, which sends you into a zero-gravity fall, catches you in a funnel, then discards you into a pool below.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Feb. 2026
-
At the same time, Gans discards the psychological and spatial logic that gave meaning to the original telling’s dream-like sense of disorientation.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Whether or not a school-age child spends their school day on a screen shouldn’t be dependent on where mom or dad can find a job.—
Abby McCloskey,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Rochester, for example, spends about 250,000 pounds ($330,000) a year on music, a substantial outlay for a provincial cathedral but less than some.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The dog runs toward the woman who is calling him to lie down and forgets about the beetle forever.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
-
But this is also another layer of always-on surveillance that never forgets and never gives you the benefit of the doubt.—
Kim Komando The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If the economy falters, political pressure on the president will build.—
Nancy Cook,
Bloomberg,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The goal is to complete this as one continuous set, but drop to your knees and/or take breaks if your form falters at any point.—
Jenny McCoy,
Outside,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
An oil tanker unloads crude oil at a terminal at the port in Qingdao, in China's eastern Shandong province on March 11, 2026.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
-
After his dreams are all but dashed, Shah unloads on himself.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loses. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
