1
as in spending
to use up carelessly
he wasted his lottery winnings on booze-soaked nights with gold diggers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroying
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
one country attempting to waste another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
endless months of inactivity wasted him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wasteful
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 wasting
Erica Paige, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2025
No more wasting time.
—Dallas News, 4 Oct. 2022
One that’s too large may be overkill, using up too much electricity and unnecessarily wasting floor space.
—Brett Dvoretz, chicagotribune.com, 1 Apr. 2021
The highly contagious disease was so wasting and terrifying that those who died of it were believed to leave their graves, infecting relatives and draining away blood and life, scholars have said.
—Author: Michael E. Ruane, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Aug. 2019
Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Testing the market by pricing high is becoming a losing and time-wasting strategy.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
See below for the best tips from professional cleaners on how to clean your blinds at home easily and efficiently, without wasting your whole day wiping them down.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
Simply put, the Yankees can find better options for their bullpen, as opposed to wasting a roster spot on Hamilton.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Late in the half Miami seemed poised to knot the score but settled for a 27-yard field goal, partly wasting Toney’s 61-yard catch and run to the Louisville nine.
—Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
As early as 2014, scientists had discovered signs of sea star wasting disease in at least twenty species across the Pacific coast.
—JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Recovering and processing that gas, instead of wasting it, could ease Iraq's chronic power shortages.
—Emma Graham, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2025
Don’t bother wasting your time hating on this; that’s college athletics now.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
Owning my gear has significantly streamlined my travel experience — no more wasting time in long rental lines, dealing with mystery-smelling boots that have seen better days, or forking out cash for rentals every season.
—Erica Paige, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2025
No more wasting time.
—Dallas News, 4 Oct. 2022
One that’s too large may be overkill, using up too much electricity and unnecessarily wasting floor space.
—Brett Dvoretz, chicagotribune.com, 1 Apr. 2021
The highly contagious disease was so wasting and terrifying that those who died of it were believed to leave their graves, infecting relatives and draining away blood and life, scholars have said.
—Author: Michael E. Ruane, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Aug. 2019
Adjective
The biggest mistake that girls make when going into the interview portion of the pageant, Alverson says, is wasting their interview time on unnecessary, pandering statements.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Testing the market by pricing high is becoming a losing and time-wasting strategy.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
See below for the best tips from professional cleaners on how to clean your blinds at home easily and efficiently, without wasting your whole day wiping them down.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
Simply put, the Yankees can find better options for their bullpen, as opposed to wasting a roster spot on Hamilton.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Late in the half Miami seemed poised to knot the score but settled for a 27-yard field goal, partly wasting Toney’s 61-yard catch and run to the Louisville nine.
—Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
As early as 2014, scientists had discovered signs of sea star wasting disease in at least twenty species across the Pacific coast.
—JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Recovering and processing that gas, instead of wasting it, could ease Iraq's chronic power shortages.
—Emma Graham, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2025
Don’t bother wasting your time hating on this; that’s college athletics now.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wasting
Verb
-
Brown’s descendants, and their spouses, are responsible for pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the community and spending countless hours serving on local nonprofit boards.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The Blackhawks are still spending more time in the defensive zone and less time in the offensive zone compared to other NHL teams.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Overdevelopment destroying our communities.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Unless this is another ploy by women who are intent on destroying each other.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Ocean acidification is weakening the teeth of sharks.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The free-trade agenda sought to deregulate the labor market and prioritize market efficiency, strengthening the hands of employers and severely weakening union and social movements, as anti-free traders had predicted.—
Dónal Gill,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Paul Taylor What the data says Forest’s Champions League push collapsed last season after wasteful finishing, and that profligacy has carried over into the new campaign.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
But dishcloths are less wasteful and very easy to clean and reuse.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Its share price collapsed a few months after going public, losing a third of its value since the start of the year before Monday's news.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Opening a business with 2% margins in a city that already gets top scores for equitable access to groceries sounds like a losing proposition.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Chiefs have seen some of league’s premier running backs — such as Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs — and have met each challenge, preventing those elite players from ruining the defensive game plan.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Clark reiterated his belief that the Dodgers are not ruining baseball.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Constipation can occur with iron supplements by affecting gut bacteria and pulling stool-softening water from your colon.—
Emmanuella Ogbonna,
Health,
31 Oct. 2025
-
It’s attracted a ton of speculation that maybe, just maybe, Netflix is finally softening its stance on putting movies into theaters.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The White House has required at least some of the construction workers tasked with demolishing the East Wing to sign nondisclosure agreements barring them from discussing their work, according to sources familiar with the project.—
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek,
ABC News,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Just last week, the Facchino Family began demolishing structures at its 13-acre property at 1655 Berryessa Road before construction commences on a new mixed-income neighborhood near the BART Station.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wasting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wasting. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share