1
as in absence
the act or an instance of not having or being able to find
he was upset over the loss of his wedding ring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in victim
a person or thing harmed, lost, or destroyed
the platoon was able to accomplish its reconnaissance mission without any losses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in defeat
failure to win a contest
we're discouraged by our loss on Friday, but we're training hard for next week's game nevertheless
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in decrease
the amount by which something is lessened
was determined to stay on the diet until he showed a loss of 10 pounds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in deprivation
the state of being robbed of something normally enjoyed
her loss of sleep meant that she would have trouble concentrating at work the next day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the loss of the oil tanker was more significant than the loss of its cargo
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 loss
ZaKiyah Johnson scored 16 points, Mikaylah Williams added 12 and LSU bounced back from a midweek loss to rout Auburn.
—
Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
Analysts there predict a price war that could drive the cost of some weight-loss drugs down by as much as 90 percent in India – and possibly in other countries too.
—Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
Her popularity comes even as much of the public remains skeptical of her party, which has been dogged by scandals and suffered two embarrassing parliamentary election losses in the last two years.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Do not bring up the Chicago Bears’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loss
Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
Analysts there predict a price war that could drive the cost of some weight-loss drugs down by as much as 90 percent in India – and possibly in other countries too.
—Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
Her popularity comes even as much of the public remains skeptical of her party, which has been dogged by scandals and suffered two embarrassing parliamentary election losses in the last two years.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Do not bring up the Chicago Bears’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loss
Noun
-
Chelsea coped better than many fans had feared in Palmer’s absence.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Sophomore forward Brayden Boczenowski (7-7-14) has been a strong playmaker up top, while senior co-captain Brody Lawhorne (1-6-7) returned from a month absence to help anchor the blue line with Mathews (2-11-13), senior John Recinito (2-4-6) and junior Kiercen Keane (0-3-3).—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Family members of the shooting victims cried as the sentence was handed down.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The victim was taken to Hartford Hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to state police.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Stafford also engineered late game-winning drives in playoff victories over the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears before the Rams suffered a 31-27 defeat by the Seahawks in the NFC championship.—
Gary Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Seattle bounced back from a defeat against the Ducks at Honda Center 24 hours earlier that snapped a four-game win streak.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Bass and her campaign team have sought to highlight a list of accomplishments, including a steady decrease in homicides, a drop in street homelessness and her efforts to accelerate the construction of affordable housing.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
This was a decrease from a 2023 assessment.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Evans said investigators were examining whether election improprieties in Fulton County amounted to violations of federal statutes governing the preservation of election records and the knowing deprivation of a fair election.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
-
What is clear, though, is deaf children are far more likely than hearing children to experience language deprivation.—
Claire Rafford,
IndyStar,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Starring Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Fennell’s dark comedy about class resentment and covetous destruction was sold on the promise of erotic excess.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Though once vital to the economy of the American territory, Puerto Rico’s sugar plantations evolved to represent the destruction and exploitation of colonialism that continues to impact the region today—a detail not lost on those cast as grass.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There should be empathy for his injury, but no sympathy for his lack of production.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Other experts said the subject’s movement could illustrate a lack of urgency.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While the fatalities have occurred along the Central Coast and in Northern California, the phenomenon has prompted concerns and discussions among mycological societies and amateur foragers across the Golden State.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Fire fatalities in Baltimore County Randle's death marked the fourth fire fatality of 2026 in Baltimore County.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loss. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
