as in wasteful
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in spending
to use up carelessly
he wasted his lottery winnings on booze-soaked nights with gold diggers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroying
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
one country attempting to waste another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
endless months of inactivity wasted him
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 wasting
Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Jan. 2026
Owning my gear has significantly streamlined my travel experience — no more wasting time in long rental lines, dealing with mystery-smelling boots that have seen better days, or forking out cash for rentals every season.
—Erica Paige, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2025
No more wasting time.
—Dallas News, 4 Oct. 2022
One that’s too large may be overkill, using up too much electricity and unnecessarily wasting floor space.
—Brett Dvoretz, chicagotribune.com, 1 Apr. 2021
The highly contagious disease was so wasting and terrifying that those who died of it were believed to leave their graves, infecting relatives and draining away blood and life, scholars have said.
—Author: Michael E. Ruane, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Aug. 2019
Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
When Ali Ansari was 12, living with his family in a single room at his aunt’s house in Woodland Hills, his immigrant mother told him to stop wasting time staring at his phone and try making money with it.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Remember when the talk was wasting Dan Marino’s career?
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
This means your home should warm up quickly again once the windows are closed, without wasting much energy.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2026
Knowing when to use a space heater can make your home cozier without wasting energy.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
Federal agencies will be in charge of setting up job protections for their own employees who accuse them of wrongdoing, such as violating the law or wasting money.
—Courtney Rozen, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Nearly 60% of workers in Kickresume’s survey said difficult coworkers significantly undermine their productivity, whether that’s by derailing their focus, wasting time, or forcing them to overthink every interaction.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
When monitoring is ignored, and problems go uncorrected, large federal programs can operate for years without adequate safeguards, wasting taxpayer dollars.
—Sheila Weinberg, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
No more wasting time using a cutter or, even worse, shredding by hand.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Jan. 2026
Owning my gear has significantly streamlined my travel experience — no more wasting time in long rental lines, dealing with mystery-smelling boots that have seen better days, or forking out cash for rentals every season.
—Erica Paige, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2025
No more wasting time.
—Dallas News, 4 Oct. 2022
One that’s too large may be overkill, using up too much electricity and unnecessarily wasting floor space.
—Brett Dvoretz, chicagotribune.com, 1 Apr. 2021
The highly contagious disease was so wasting and terrifying that those who died of it were believed to leave their graves, infecting relatives and draining away blood and life, scholars have said.
—Author: Michael E. Ruane, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Aug. 2019
Verb
This low-budget-looking spot was way more successful than the company's previous 2000 Super Bowl ad, the one that bragged about wasting 2 million bucks while showing a monkey dancing on a bucket.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
When Ali Ansari was 12, living with his family in a single room at his aunt’s house in Woodland Hills, his immigrant mother told him to stop wasting time staring at his phone and try making money with it.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Remember when the talk was wasting Dan Marino’s career?
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
This means your home should warm up quickly again once the windows are closed, without wasting much energy.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2026
Knowing when to use a space heater can make your home cozier without wasting energy.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
Federal agencies will be in charge of setting up job protections for their own employees who accuse them of wrongdoing, such as violating the law or wasting money.
—Courtney Rozen, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Nearly 60% of workers in Kickresume’s survey said difficult coworkers significantly undermine their productivity, whether that’s by derailing their focus, wasting time, or forcing them to overthink every interaction.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
When monitoring is ignored, and problems go uncorrected, large federal programs can operate for years without adequate safeguards, wasting taxpayer dollars.
—Sheila Weinberg, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wasting
Adjective
-
The Democrats also largely take aim at how wasteful and ineffective the policy may be.—
STEPHEN GROVES,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The cost of changing to this dangerous policy will be an unnecessary, wasteful cost to Florida taxpayers.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Utilities are spending billions of dollars upgrading their aging infrastructure, while data centers are prompting a surge in demand for electricity.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Wagner Moura Basking in the sun outside The Times newsroom ahead of his digital cover shoot last month, Wagner Moura seemed exceptionally relaxed about spending his Tuesday afternoon in El Segundo with a bunch of journalists.—
Matt Brennan
Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But when the other side is destroying it, there are worse things to be than the alternative.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The European Union is moving forward with its ban on destroying unsold clothing, footwear and accessories.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Unbalanced Or Leaning Tree A weakening root system or poor pruning practices can cause a tree to lean to one side.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
-
My opponent, Tim O’Hare, has led with ideology and performative politics, reducing transparency, weakening public participation, and creating financial instability through deficit-style budgeting and reserve spending.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sewald came to the Diamondbacks from the Seattle Mariners in a trade deadline deal in 2023 and helped the D-backs make a surprise run to the Fall Classic before losing to the Texas Rangers in five games.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Businesses are losing foot traffic, changing their hours or closing entirely.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Steam cleaning is an effective way to sanitize and refresh your mattress, but the wrong technique can end up ruining the fabric.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Bree doesn’t even realize that Evan is already in the process of ruining everything.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Williams did not explicitly mention tennis, or any sport, in her Super Bowl advert for Ro, but her focus on movement and wellbeing in the context of her softening position on the possibility of a comeback was striking.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
On most prestige shows, a friendship between two women from disparate backgrounds would serve as an emotional anchor, softening both characters.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This season on the road, Newcastle have been particularly profligate in possession.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The profligate spending of the Biden administration and the monetary mismanagement of the Federal Reserve caused both home prices and interest rates to skyrocket, a deadly one-two punch that knocked out the housing market.—
E.J. Antoni,
Mercury News,
28 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wasting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wasting. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
