wads 1 of 2

plural of wad
1
as in loads
a considerable amount a starlet who usually gets a big wad of publicity for her nonstop antics

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2

wads

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of wad
as in rounds
to form into a round compact mass she wadded up the paper and threw it in the wastebasket took the paper off the straw and wadded it up

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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 wads
Noun
Nestled deep among the wads of shredded paper and other bric-a-brac, the occupants made not a squeak, concealed to anyone who looked through the carrier’s door. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026 Photos apparently taken by the men themselves show wads of cash on the seat of a car, in a plastic bag and in stacks on the floor of a location in New York. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 1 July 2026 The alpha heroes of 1980s romances—ranch owners, corporate raiders, anyone played by Michael Douglas—tended to be emotionally constipated anti-feminists intent on dominating the opposite sex by using testosterone and wads of cash. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026 And Lamanna’s coauthor Jingmai O’Connor, vertebrate paleontologist and associate curator of fossil reptiles at Chicago’s Field Museum, also pointed out wads of bone found in the Changma Basin resemble pellets that owls regurgitate after feeding on prey. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 4 June 2026 Not as punishment, but to better know our playing grounds and appreciate the big and small things—like freeing wads of vegetation from an undercarriage—that turn a field into a stage. — CBS News, 1 May 2026 Cubans have long been accustomed to shopping with wads of cash stuffed into bags after compounding bouts of soaring inflation. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026 Our pants had been ripped from brush and windfalls, and wads of insulation were hanging out of mine. — Elwyn "bud" Myers, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026 Use those wads of wrapping paper leftover from a birthday, baby shower, or holiday bash to stuff the bottom and sides of the box and prevent shifting during shipping. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wads
Noun
  • Cranes lift 200-ton loads at mountain bridge site The R4300-200 has a maximum lifting capacity of 200 metric tons (220 US tons) and an 80-meter jib (262 feet).
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Its remaining civil rights workers have described untenable case loads and pressure to dismiss complaints.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Because the vulnerability affects almost 20 years of PHP, big chunks of internet history are in danger of being lost.
    — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Pick from gummy bears, brownie chunks, M&M’s, marshmallows, and more.
    — Lisa Shames, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Ant Design rounds out the Apex V2 with a few extra features, starting with a ruler marked in inches and millimeters on the chassis.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Li rounds out 2026 with a third cash prize, $300,000 from the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, and further mentorship from industry experts.
    — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said earlier this week that the first shipment would amount to 40,000 tons of diesel, according to Russia's Interfax news agency.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • To meet those requirements, the company customized its L760-50 luffing-jib tower crane, which has a maximum lifting capacity of 50 metric tons (55 US tons) and a maximum jib length of 60 meters (197 feet).
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The calves struggled against a current thick with floating clumps of river plants.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The formula pairs glycerin and flexible polymers to coat and define every lash without weighing them down, while the dual-length brush prevents clumps and lengthens from root to tip.
    — Madison San Miguel, Allure, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Stock up and make these kathi rolls with Trader Joe’s flour tortillas.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026
  • From there, the train rolls west through Sedalia, Warrensburg, and Lee’s Summit.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Midwest Living, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • When Anthropic goes public, the stock its seven cofounders hold stands to be worth up to $200 billion between them, carved up into seven nearly identical piles.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The birthday cakes appear pulled out of manila envelopes along with piles of pictures, as if being entered into evidence at a trial.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • But globs of liquid mercury worked just fine to show the melting shards coming together, even though its toxicity meant the special effects crew had to wear protective gear over the two-day shoot.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Bathroom sink drains can become clogged from hair, globs of toothpaste, and soapy residue.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 30 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wads. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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