MISSPEND Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

misspend

verb

ˌmis-ˈspend

Definition of misspend

as in to spend

to use up carelessly warned that a childhood spent hanging around indoors was a misspent youth indeed

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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 misspend In Mississippi, federal investigators say roughly $77 million dollars in welfare funds were misspent during the state’s largest public welfare embezzlement scheme. — Aisha Nyandoro, Forbes.com, 3 Feb. 2026 Another is the surprising fact that no Florida law specifically prohibits public officials from misspending public funds on political advertising. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026 Visit our website Between 2016 and 2020, Mississippi organizations that received TANF funding to conduct things like workforce development and teen pregnancy prevention misspent or stole at least $77 million. — Bryce Covert, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2026 There are literally a million better ways to stop food waste than partnering with a family that has been convicted of felonies for misspending nonprofit money. — Emily Barnes, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for misspend

Recent Examples of Synonyms for misspend

Verb

The frontman said he was humbled by the action and was touched to spend time with members of the Minneapolis community who worked on the front lines during the ICE surge.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
OpenAI, for example, expects to spend more than $25 billion on training alone this year.

— Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

As music factories and generative tools take over entry-level work, newcomers risk losing a vital foothold in the industry.

— Ben Croll, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
So instead of making teams whole each time, the NFL now just pays teams’ travel expenses for their international game under the rationale that every team will lose a home game—and, in turn, home game ticket revenue—during that time.

— Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of lose

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misspeaks

misspend

misspending

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Style

“Misspend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misspend. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of misspend

verb

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