1
as in to spend
to use up carelessly
squandered all her money gambling in casinos
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disperse
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 squander
The Cubs had relatively few scoring opportunities against Woodruff and the Brewers’ bullpen, and those were quickly squandered.
—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2026
Cease walked too many batters and was left in the game to squander a lead.
—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Messi delivers the dagger Despite thoroughly controlling most of the match, the result was still in doubt late in the second half as Argentina squandered a few opportunities to increase its lead.
—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 June 2026
Last season ended with a play-in game collapse, the Clippers squandering a 13-point, fourth-quarter lead to the Golden State Warriors at home.
—
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for squander
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2026
Cease walked too many batters and was left in the game to squander a lead.
—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Messi delivers the dagger Despite thoroughly controlling most of the match, the result was still in doubt late in the second half as Argentina squandered a few opportunities to increase its lead.
—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 June 2026
Last season ended with a play-in game collapse, the Clippers squandering a 13-point, fourth-quarter lead to the Golden State Warriors at home.
—
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for squander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squander
Verb
-
During our time away, our neighbors visited with us at the hospital, looked after our house and came over daily to feed and spend time with our cat.
-
American doctors are so conspicuously well-paid that a group of economic researchers spent years trying to figure out why.
Verb
-
On the solstice, the first goal was to clear trash that had found its way onto the orchard, then form makeshift berms out of rocks dispersed around the space.
-
The San Jose Police Department has declared an unlawful assembly and in the name of the People of the State of California, order all those assembled at Santa Clara St and Almaden Ave to immediately disperse, which means to break up this assembly.
Verb
-
The Padres, meanwhile, have lost six straight and given up 66 runs over the last six days, the most in such a span in franchise history.
-
But water also carries the potential for danger, and parents who have lost a child to drowning are begging families to use caution.
Verb
-
Once again, no one is here for the play-acting, the time-wasting, the cheating.
-
Rather than simply reducing power use across the board, the system attempts to identify exactly when machinery is wasting energy and proposes operational changes that can reduce consumption without disrupting productivity.
Cite this Entry
“Squander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squander. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
