1
as in spent
to use up carelessly
squandered all her money gambling in casinos
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dispersed
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 squandered
This came just one week after the Panthers (1-1) squandered a fourth-quarter lead in a 15-7 loss to Gloucester.
—
Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The Padres lost 2-1 to the Reds on Wednesday by failing in their biggest at-bats before and after a shorthanded bullpen squandered a one-run lead in the eighth inning.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Chancers that were there that day … only to be squandered in the pivotal first half.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2025
Chicago squandered a lead in the fourth quarter and lost the game 27-24.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
That’s talent being wasted, potential being squandered, and families being put at risk.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 7 Sep. 2025
In this laugh-a-minute romp, Keke Palmer and SZA star as two down-on-their-luck besties and roommates who discover (much too late) that one of their boyfriends squandered their rent money.
—James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
The finances also are wobbly here as all the money left behind by the Dowager Countess has been squandered.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
Those fortunes were made and squandered rapidly—Iran went from bereft during the Iran-Iraq War, to unbeatable two decades later, to resoundingly beaten a little less than two decades after that.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The Padres lost 2-1 to the Reds on Wednesday by failing in their biggest at-bats before and after a shorthanded bullpen squandered a one-run lead in the eighth inning.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Chancers that were there that day … only to be squandered in the pivotal first half.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2025
Chicago squandered a lead in the fourth quarter and lost the game 27-24.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
That’s talent being wasted, potential being squandered, and families being put at risk.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 7 Sep. 2025
In this laugh-a-minute romp, Keke Palmer and SZA star as two down-on-their-luck besties and roommates who discover (much too late) that one of their boyfriends squandered their rent money.
—James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
The finances also are wobbly here as all the money left behind by the Dowager Countess has been squandered.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
Those fortunes were made and squandered rapidly—Iran went from bereft during the Iran-Iraq War, to unbeatable two decades later, to resoundingly beaten a little less than two decades after that.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squandered
Verb
-
There are people in this world who exchange birthday gifts with their manicurist, and then there are those who have spent many solitary hours mastering the art of the at-home manicure.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Liberatore previously spent almost nine years at Airbnb, and before that worked in senior finance roles at SquareTrade, eBay and PayPal.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Video taken at the event shows that, just seconds later, the sound of a gunshot was heard as Kirk appeared to be struck in the head or neck while the crowd around him dispersed in a panic.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
-
These targets are often dispersed and lack adequate protection from air defense systems.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The convenient kit comes with floor and roofing materials, plus nails, screws, handles, door locks, and fixings, which means less time wasted running to the hardware store.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
-
But unlike Yamamoto—whose second straight 10-K one-hitter was wasted—Verlander bobbed and weaved and lollipop-curved the lineup to death.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Smaller dogs showed more nighttime activity and higher stress hormones in their early shelter days, and, on average, all canines lost about 5 percent of their body weight during the first two weeks.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
In Kimetsu, anger and sadness over what has been taken away or lost, and the strong desire to protect what’s dear to you, drive the battles.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squandered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squandered. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share