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
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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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
endless months of inactivity wasted him
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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
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Recent Examples of waste
Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
The group has attempted to paint a fuller picture of the footwear sector’s waste and emissions impact based on current, primary source data from Tier 1 producers in Asia, where most of the world’s shoes are produced.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 4 June 2025
Will Sammon, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Pitching keeps the Rangers ‘around it’ This team is wasting one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 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
Composting: Level up your gardening expertise by recycling your yard waste.
—Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
The group has attempted to paint a fuller picture of the footwear sector’s waste and emissions impact based on current, primary source data from Tier 1 producers in Asia, where most of the world’s shoes are produced.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 4 June 2025
Verb
New York wasted another strong outing from David Peterson, who pitched seven innings and allowed three runs.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Pitching keeps the Rangers ‘around it’ This team is wasting one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 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
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Duluth, Minnesota, has installed effective and unobtrusive signs at each beach entrance next to a garbage receptacle.—
John Michael Pierobon,
Sun Sentinel,
25 May 2025
-
Allegiance The Resistance, led by General Leia Organa, regroups on the garbage planet Anoat, while Finn and Poe go on a secret mission to retrieve a weapons cache to increase their dwindling arsenal.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
25 May 2025
Noun
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On Friday, temperatures in Southern California are expected to range from eight to 16 degrees above normal, with highs in the 90s to just above 100 degrees across the valleys, lower mountains and deserts, according to the National Weather Service’s Oxnard office.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
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Marvel at one of Africa’s most compelling regions with 7 Wonders in 7 Days at Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, an intimate, seven-night journey to the Namib, the world’s oldest living desert.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
Ndebele art involves geometric motifs painted on the walls of houses using dung, limestone, red clays, soot, ash, and other natural pigments.—
Percy Zvomuya,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
-
But be careful not to hit any of the rodents or the rodent dung.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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LinkedIn’s expansion allows companies to buy First Impression Ads: vertical video ads for single-day campaigns that can target users in specific businesses, and are guaranteed to be the first ad that those members see during the day.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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The 54-year-old already was overseeing a $60 billion expansion of the parks business before Abu Dhabi — Disney’s first new park since 2016 — was announced in May.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2025
Noun
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In 1950, the wall was reconstructed to control erosion and create artificial beaches.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
23 May 2025
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Concrete sea walls, like the one proposed for a 257-foot stretch in Half Moon Bay, have been proposed to prevent further erosion along the coast, though the proposals have faced local opposition from residents.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Sacramento County’s budget outlines recommendations of how the county should spend its money throughout the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.—
Emma Hall,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2025
-
One-quarter of all U.S. consumers also plans to decrease spending or abstain from buying on Amazon Prime Day this summer, according to data from Akeneo.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
6 June 2025
Verb
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But Foxx lamented how the producer ruined his legacy after being arrested in Manhattan last September following a grand jury indictment.—
Mekishana Pierre Published,
EW.com,
3 June 2025
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The relationship between Ludovico and Silvia sparked deadly resentment—Ludovico feared Giorgio might expose the affair and ruin his reputation.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Bias, inaccuracies and missing values can all weaken model reliability.—
Tor Constantino,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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Coercing democratic allies such as Canada or Denmark more broadly weakens trust in U.S. alliances; threatening Panama reawakens fears of imperialism throughout Latin America; crippling the U.S. Agency for International Development undercuts the United States’ reputation for benevolence.—
Robert O. Keohane,
Foreign Affairs,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waste. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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