squandered

verb

past tense of squander
1
as in spent
to use up carelessly squandered all her money gambling in casinos

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 The Ridley Scott of yore would not have squandered such an opportunity. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026 That was the main takeaway when watching Coleman’s 2024 and 2025 tape, as he was regularly squandered in the Auburn offense. — Dane Brugler, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The Marlins squandered a chance to take the lead in the seventh when Jakob Marsee was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice by Otto Lopez. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 After the Braves squandered an early 3-0 lead against Tyler Glasnow, who made his first big league start in 3 1/2 months, Matt Olson led off the eighth with a double to left-center against Tanner Scott (1-4). — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 The team’s good will had been squandered over the years by parting with a few of their best players. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 Campbell’s charge, then, was to get the Nittany Lions over the Mount Nittany-sized hump that squandered every season. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 Napheesa Collier had 20 points and nine rebounds, Kayla McBride scored 19 points and the WNBA-leading Minnesota Lynx nearly squandered a 29-point lead before holding off the Portland Fire 85-81 on Wednesday night. — CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 France had enough offensive firepower to potentially win the tournament, but Les Bleus lost to Spain in the semifinals and squandered their chance at reaching a third straight World Cup final. — Alanis Thames, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squandered
  1. spent
  2. dispersed
  3. lost
  4. wasted
Verb
  • Steinem spent 11 days working undercover as a bunny in Manhattan's Playboy Club and documenting her experience.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Steinem spent her final years continuing to write, her representatives noted Thursday, including her forthcoming book An Unexpected Life.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of spent
Verb
  • Smotrich and his partners have dispersed new settlements in places with high tactical importance, deliberately separating areas under Palestinian control to disrupt the territorial continuity that could one day form the basis of a Palestinian state.
    — Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2026
  • But within seconds, an air raid alert sounded, and the crowd dispersed.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of dispersed
Verb
  • So the announcement arrives that Paul Baker lost the election, meaning nobody has to move out, and Anton and Paul Baker share their big kiss.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The club has had Los Angeles in its name since 2005, when the City of Anaheim sued the team and lost in civil court.
    — Sam Blum, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of lost
Verb
  • Spraying the whole plant—the leaves and stems—means some water is being wasted because plants need water near their roots.
    — Lauren David, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Those particular fans in Cleveland who wasted precious hours of their lives Saturday afternoon at an NFL preseason game, then booed Deshaun Watson throughout his time on the field?
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of wasted

Browse Nearby Words

squander
squandered
squanderer
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Cite this Entry

“Squandered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squandered. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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