1
as in wastefulness
an instance of spending money or resources without care or restraint
it seems like a waste to spend my entire paycheck on a bigger TV
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in garbage
discarded or useless material
gathered up the waste when he was finished sewing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in desert
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops
an area that was a barren waste after the strip-mining had ended
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4
as in dung
solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal
a local ordinance requiring dog owners to properly dispose of their pet's waste
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in expansion
a wide space or area
a legendary mariner doomed to sail the watery wastes of the world until Judgment Day
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6
as in erosion
a gradual weakening, loss, or destruction
the slow waste of the once broad beach by the relentless tide
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to spend
to use up carelessly
he wasted his lottery winnings on booze-soaked nights with gold diggers
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2
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
one country attempting to waste another
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3
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
endless months of inactivity wasted him
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
waste acreage that was not fit for anything
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of waste
Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025
Mary Wheeler, Durango Musk is right to look for spending waste
Trump’s executive orders and Elon Musk’s DOGE actions are being vilified.
—Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 14 Feb. 2025
Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2025
Think of all the precious resources wasted by the nuclear nations.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Feb. 2025
Chris Smith, BGR, 26 Feb. 2021
To boost that percentage, France passed an anti-waste bill last year mandating that electronics manufacturers make a repairability index visible on their products.
—Maddie Stone, Wired, 20 Feb. 2021
See all Example Sentences for waste 
Noun
His approval ratings are higher than his favorability ratings because Trump and his allies have effectively sold the American people his most prominent policies: Slashing government waste and fraud, reducing the size of the federal bureaucracy, and deporting criminal aliens.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025
Mary Wheeler, Durango Musk is right to look for spending waste
Trump’s executive orders and Elon Musk’s DOGE actions are being vilified.
—Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
The sun may have set on the latest era of WNBA basketball in Connecticut, but the franchise hasn’t wasted any time rebuilding the roster.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2025
Think of all the precious resources wasted by the nuclear nations.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
The new anti-waste law aims to encourage buyers to repair their devices rather than replace them with new products.
—Chris Smith, BGR, 26 Feb. 2021
To boost that percentage, France passed an anti-waste bill last year mandating that electronics manufacturers make a repairability index visible on their products.
—Maddie Stone, Wired, 20 Feb. 2021
See all Example Sentences for waste
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waste
Noun
-
The plummeting property values bled Gary of tax revenue for roads, schools, street lights, firefighters, garbage pickup.—
Paige Williams,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
-
City government is closest to the needs of residents’ everyday lives – snow plowing, garbage pickup, street lights, road repair, public safety, sensible economic development for low property taxes.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Viewing Nolte’s photos is like waking up in an alternate reality: a sea turned to desert.—
Alex Cuadros,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Bennu was the target for NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sampling mission, which touched down briefly on the space rock in October 2020 to gather over 4 ounces of material, and then brought that sample back to Earth for a landing in the Utah desert in September 2023.—
Victoria Corless,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Here’s some of what the inspector found: About nine pieces of rodent dung in the lobby behind the drink station counter.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
28 Jan. 2025
-
Hundreds of barefoot pilgrims undertook a parikrama one morning, picking around heaps of cow dung dotting the road.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
5 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
L'Agence said this was meant to represent the company's international expansion.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
-
His firm designed the Marine Mammal Pavilion, a large and colorful expansion to the National Aquarium in Baltimore.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The farmers agree to use organic fertilizers and diversify their crops to reduce erosion.—
Erika Page,
The Christian Science Monitor,
3 Feb. 2025
-
The OpenAI rival sent a sobering message to both Washington and Silicon Valley, showcasing China's erosion of the U.S. lead in a critical tech battleground.—
Theo Burman,
Newsweek,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
From feeling the sunshine on your skin to swimming in crystal-clear waters, spending time at the beach can have a healing impact on your wellbeing.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
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Much has been made of the amount Chelsea have spent on the squad via the transfer market since the takeover, with more than £1billion ($1.3bn) committed to new signings.—
Simon Johnson,
The Athletic,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The film ends with Ross going full Red Hulk in the White House Rose Garden (oops), nearly ruining his legacy (Sterns’ real prize) and ultimately forcing him to admit his wrongdoing, give up his office, and head to The Raft to serve an undetermined amount of time in the floating prison.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Ancient people weren't about to let these pests ruin their crops or their lives.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In the bond market, Treasury yields fell after a report said sales at U.S. retailers weakened by much more last month than economists expected.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2025
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His executive order, unless reversed by the courts, will encourage greater corruption in Latin America, hurting the region’s economies, weakening democratic institutions and making countries poorer.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waste. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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