1
as in absence
the act or an instance of not having or being able to find
he was upset over the loss of his wedding ring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in victim
a person or thing harmed, lost, or destroyed
the platoon was able to accomplish its reconnaissance mission without any losses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in defeat
failure to win a contest
we're discouraged by our loss on Friday, but we're training hard for next week's game nevertheless
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in decrease
the amount by which something is lessened
was determined to stay on the diet until he showed a loss of 10 pounds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in deprivation
the state of being robbed of something normally enjoyed
her loss of sleep meant that she would have trouble concentrating at work the next day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the loss of the oil tanker was more significant than the loss of its cargo
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 loss
There was a 70-66 overtime loss at Nevada last season when the Aztecs couldn’t secure an offensive rebound that would have killed the game in regulation.
—
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
Marist dropped to 16-4 (9-2 in the MAAC) with the heartbreaking loss to Fairfield and will look to bounce back against Iona on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 7 Feb. 2025
That’s where Philly fans celebrated a Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots in 2018 and sulked during the team’s Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs in 2023.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025
Games to Watch Classical Magnet (10-1) at Innovation (12-1), Tuesday, 7 p.m.: Innovation’s only loss came to Cheney Tech in overtime on Dec. 21; Classical’s only loss was to SMSA on Dec. 26.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for loss 
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
Marist dropped to 16-4 (9-2 in the MAAC) with the heartbreaking loss to Fairfield and will look to bounce back against Iona on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 7 Feb. 2025
That’s where Philly fans celebrated a Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots in 2018 and sulked during the team’s Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs in 2023.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025
Games to Watch Classical Magnet (10-1) at Innovation (12-1), Tuesday, 7 p.m.: Innovation’s only loss came to Cheney Tech in overtime on Dec. 21; Classical’s only loss was to SMSA on Dec. 26.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for loss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loss
Noun
-
During the war, NGOs served as the de facto public-sector leaders in the absence of the state.—
Jesse Marks,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Similarly, in the absence of federal guidance, more states have been looking at an APR cap of 36% in recent years.—
Lucinda Shen,
Axios,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
In January, they were spotted together visiting the World Central Kitchen in Pasadena, Calif., to help distribute food and supplies to victims of the Eaton Fire.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
8 Feb. 2025
-
There was a young woman who dressed as a Boston Marathon bombing victim for Halloween.—
Kelsey McKinney,
Rolling Stone,
8 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Saturday’s 68-63 loss at Colorado State was particularly agonizing because of the manner of defeat, leading 50-47 with 14 minutes left, then scoring only one basket (and going 1 of 8 from the line) over the next 11 minutes.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Feb. 2025
-
But the hemp defeat did drive Caprara’s email, city and state sources told the Tribune, as well as Pritzker’s airing of broader frustrations about the city’s communication style and organizational disarray.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The former saw sales fall 4.6 percent, while the latter saw a decrease of 3 percent.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
14 Feb. 2025
-
The steady decrease has prompted worries among some community members, who blame it on a deliberate campaign of misinformation and rhetoric from Republican lawmakers and President Donald Trump.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Miguel Hidalgo, 34, was charged with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law in connection with the assault at FCC Coleman in Sumter County in August 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida said in a Jan. 30 news release.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2025
-
Research shows that even a single night of sleep deprivation can increase hunger-promoting hormones and the desire for highly palatable foods, like sweets.13 Experts recommend that adults get at least seven hours of sleep per night for optimal health.14 5.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Because mutually assured destruction has already occurred.—
James Hibberd,
The Hollywood Reporter,
11 Feb. 2025
-
The epic destruction that surrounds the Villa today adds an unnerving element to the exhibition’s art historical context.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
There’s also no interior light, and for the price, that lack of a light, combined with the missing preheat feature, kept this one out of our top picks.—
Emily Farris,
Bon Appétit,
18 Feb. 2025
-
The lack of a swift deal, the furore and the anxiety of the past week are ultimately in Putin’s interests.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
That marks the most fatalities from the bacterial infection since a 2017 surge of the illness, which is also known as pertussis.—
Alexander Tin,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Authorities confirmed the fatality in a news briefing on Monday afternoon.—
Charmaine Patterson,
People.com,
11 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near loss
Cite this Entry
“Loss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loss. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share