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

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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 Drew Rasmussen squandered a two-run lead on the mound, Tampa Bay's bullpen let the game get away and the Rays stumbled to a 7-3 loss against the Cleveland Guardians in their American League Championship Series opener Monday night. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 The Falcons held a 23-15 lead with less than one minute to go, squandered it, then fell 30-23 in overtime to the Ravens (4-1) on Sunday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026 The Nebraska offense squandered the opportunity, going three-and-out, but pinned Indiana at its own 1-yard line with an excellent punt. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 The Dodgers squandered home-field advantage and a chance to take control of the National League Division Series, losing 3-2 to the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium and evening the series. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Last season yielded a different kind, as the Astros squandered a seven-game division lead at midseason and missed the playoffs. — Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 27 Sep. 2026 Israelis poured into the streets, outraged that Netanyahu had squandered opportunities to reach a deal that might have saved them. — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026 There’s so much potential in American Hostage, mostly squandered. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026 The Guardians squandered a 4-2 lead but climbed to within one run entering the ninth. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squandered
  1. spent
  2. dispersed
  3. lost
  4. wasted
Verb
  • Art of Play then shared another statement, explaining that Clark spent just five minutes in the store before taking off.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Having studied fashion and previously working as a stylist, Jouffret has spent the past eight years overseeing the costumes and characters that appear on-screen.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of spent
Verb
  • There are seven bedrooms and six full bathrooms dispersed throughout, with additional spaces including a billiards room with a bar, a cozy reading nook, and a sun porch with wraparound windows.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • This jagged microscopic debris, easily dispersed by meteorite impacts and rocket exhaust, is corrosive, abrasive and adhesive.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of dispersed
Verb
  • His candidate lost in December 2018 to Kabila's long-term political rival, Tshisekedi.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Ryder’s Law was reintroduced this year after another carriage horse collapsed and died in Central Park, and in a separate incident, tourist Romanch Mahajan, 18, died after falling off a carriage after the operator lost control.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of lost
Verb
  • Such great and grand groups have been wasted in lesser series, but each talented actor gets to strut their stuff without disrupting the story or getting short-changed.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Along with that revenue loss, 56% of operators say a no-show means turning away other bookings, while 51% cite staff costs and 49% report wasted food or stock, the study found.
    — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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