squan·der
ˈskwän-dər 
squandered; squandering
ˈskwän-d(ə-)riŋ
2
: to cause to disperse : scatter
3
: to lose (something, such as an advantage or opportunity) through negligence or inaction
: an act of squandering
Synonyms
Examples of squander in a Sentence
Verb
He vowed not to squander this opportunity.
squandered all her money gambling in casinos
Recent Examples on the Web
Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 30 June 2024
The Dolphins had the look of title contender last season until December, when a fourth-quarter collapse to the Tennessee Titans squandered the team’s chances of winning the AFC East for the first time since 2008.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 30 June 2024
Aneri Pattani, USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2024
The worse sin is the way the movie squanders scenes that should be transcendently ecstatic or transcendently silly.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for squander 
Verb
For all the talk of timelines with the Warriors, the team may be entering their darkest timeline: with eight figures in expiring contracts squandered, a franchise legend walking away, and a responsibility to do right by Curry without an easy path to do so.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 30 June 2024
The Dolphins had the look of title contender last season until December, when a fourth-quarter collapse to the Tennessee Titans squandered the team’s chances of winning the AFC East for the first time since 2008.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 30 June 2024
Noun
But families affected by addiction, recovery advocates, and legal and public health experts say doing so squanders a rare opportunity to direct additional resources toward saving lives.
—Aneri Pattani, USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2024
The worse sin is the way the movie squanders scenes that should be transcendently ecstatic or transcendently silly.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for squander
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'squander.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near squander
Cite this Entry
“Squander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squander. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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