1
as in loads
a considerable amount
a starlet who usually gets a big wad of publicity for her nonstop antics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chunks
a small uneven mass
a wad of gum stuck to the desk
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in rounds
to form into a round compact mass
she wadded up the paper and threw it in the wastebasket took the paper off the straw and wadded it up
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 wads
CBS News, 1 May 2026
Cubans have long been accustomed to shopping with wads of cash stuffed into bags after compounding bouts of soaring inflation.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Our pants had been ripped from brush and windfalls, and wads of insulation were hanging out of mine.
—Elwyn "bud" Myers, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026
Use those wads of wrapping paper leftover from a birthday, baby shower, or holiday bash to stuff the bottom and sides of the box and prevent shifting during shipping.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025
Hanging ornaments with care can be one of the highlights of the holiday season, but untangling wads of string lights is far less enjoyable.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Everyone gathered around to help flip the meat, stuffing wads of lettuce wraps into their cheeks and washing it down with soju.
—Irene Yoo
september 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
But a safe containing fat wads of cash and a large cocaine stash presents an opportunity.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
There are notebooks to journal in and thick wads of paper for people to draw or paint.
—Mary Holland, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
Not as punishment, but to better know our playing grounds and appreciate the big and small things—like freeing wads of vegetation from an undercarriage—that turn a field into a stage.
—CBS News, 1 May 2026
Cubans have long been accustomed to shopping with wads of cash stuffed into bags after compounding bouts of soaring inflation.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Our pants had been ripped from brush and windfalls, and wads of insulation were hanging out of mine.
—Elwyn "bud" Myers, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026
Use those wads of wrapping paper leftover from a birthday, baby shower, or holiday bash to stuff the bottom and sides of the box and prevent shifting during shipping.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025
Hanging ornaments with care can be one of the highlights of the holiday season, but untangling wads of string lights is far less enjoyable.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Everyone gathered around to help flip the meat, stuffing wads of lettuce wraps into their cheeks and washing it down with soju.
—Irene Yoo
september 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
But a safe containing fat wads of cash and a large cocaine stash presents an opportunity.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
There are notebooks to journal in and thick wads of paper for people to draw or paint.
—Mary Holland, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wads
Noun
-
Levi’s went on a prolific streak of collaborations by releasing three collections with Nike and Jordan Brand from last July through January, and during that time and onward denim has been popping up on loads more in-line releases under the Nike umbrella.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
20 May 2026
-
There’s plenty of space in the rear too, with loads of head and legroom for adult passengers.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Maybe a whole roast chicken appeared, or its meat was folded into a gooey casserole with a few peas and carrot chunks.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 May 2026
-
Aim for at least an hour of daily activity, even if it’s broken up into shorter chunks throughout the day, Drake recommended.—
Jamie Ducharme,
Health,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The fight will be contested at welterweight, and White did not clarify how many rounds the bout would be contested at.—
Mark Puleo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Canyon Ranch Tucson rounds out the list with a dedicated cold plunge pool inside its larger holistic wellness programming.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Beatbot iSkim Robotic Pool Skimmer Deal Beatbot's entry-level pool skimmer is an extremely capable machine, with a large nine-liter basket to hold tons of leaves and debris.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
19 May 2026
-
Every year, the global food industry generates millions of tons of oyster shells.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Corden and Jones have since swapped the BBC for Apple TV with The Choir, which rolls cameras this year and sees them star as brother and sister Ben and Lisa, reunited after Ben returns home from abroad to a quiet English town.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
-
Aledo rolls past Amarillo Aledo, the reigning Class 5A Division I state champion, took one step closer toward the first championship repeat in program history.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Many commencement speakers are given honorary degrees, but the prestige associated with such matters has declined over the years; six-figure piles of cash surely seem more useful than an ersatz doctorate given to an accomplished alumnus or once-local homegirl.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
-
Most earwig problems begin outside, where damp piles of leaves, firewood or other debris create an attractive environment for the insects.—
Dan Simms,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
But in the dark, Yara was just trying their best not to trip over young clumps of prickly pear.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Sunspots are cooler, darker regions of the sun’s surface that form when clumps of its magnetic field well up from deep within the sun.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
The second and third outs were called third strikes, both of them initially balls before All-Star catcher Realmuto challenged through the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), or so called robot umpires, that will be used in the regular season for the first time this year.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Arrange dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.—
Holly Riordan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wads. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
