squander

1 of 2

verb

squan·​der ˈskwän-dər How to pronounce squander (audio)
squandered; squandering ˈskwän-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce squander (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to spend extravagantly or foolishly : dissipate, waste
squandered a fortune
2
: to cause to disperse : scatter
3
: to lose (something, such as an advantage or opportunity) through negligence or inaction
squanderer noun

squander

2 of 2

noun

: an act of squandering

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
Verb
Additionally, employees who feel their skills and strengths are utilized — rather than squandered on non-valuable work — are more likely to trust their managers and remain engaged with work. Lisa Bodell, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Mississippi prosecutors have said millions of federal welfare dollars for low-income residents were squandered on projects supported by wealthy or well-connected people from 2016 to 2019. Emily Wagster Pettus The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 24 Feb. 2024 The move made clear that in the current stage of the fight, Ukraine must avoid squandering valuable human and material resources simply to defend the principle that no patch of territory will be yielded without a fight. Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2024 Golden State squandered a double-digit lead to lose for the ninth time, with the Clippers having come back in two of those games. Janie McCauley, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024 During the conversation on Tuesday, a USAID employee, Hannah Funk, questioned whether the United States was squandering its moral authority on the world stage by rushing arms and equipment into Israel during its military campaign. John Hudson, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024 The Trojans squandered a 16-point lead in less than 10 minutes against Colorado on Saturday at Galen Center, falling in double overtime, 92-89, in a game that symbolizes the team’s one-step-forward, two-steps-back season. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024 In fact, a study by McKinsey & Company shows that leaders in a typical Fortune 500 company may squander more than 500,000 days each year due to ineffective decision-making. Sherzod Odilov, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 Rivers watched his new team squander an early 13-point lead, fall behind by nine and then fight back before Aaron Gordon ended the comeback by blocking Damian Lillard's layup attempt with 24.7 seconds remaining. Pat Graham, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024
Noun
These were strong words, backed by statistics and set against the backdrop of a feeble first swipe at long COVID by the National Institutes of Health that has been widely viewed as a disastrous squander of time and money. Carolyn Barber, Fortune, 24 Jan. 2024 And that failing to do so squanders huge amounts of human capital. Kelly Field, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Jan. 2024 Meanwhile, the movie squanders Antonio Banderas in a tiny role and under-utilizes Mads Mikkelsen in a bigger one: Voller, Indy’s Nazi rival for the disc. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 30 June 2023 The Sox mounted an even more formidable threat – with an even more monumental squander – in the bottom of the first. Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 13 June 2023 Those on hand saw the A’s squander an early 6-2 lead then force extra innings in dramatic fashion. Matt Kawahara, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2023 And in Atlanta, the Falcons’ squander of a 16-point lead to the Saints in the fourth quarter could have been saved by kicker Younghoe Koo, but his last-second try from 63 yards — well beyond his career long — was blocked. BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2022 For the second game in a row, the Red Sox got off to promising start, only to see the bullpen squander it. BostonGlobe.com, 11 Aug. 2021 If the Jazz squander playoff possessions or get sloppy on those trips, their chances at winning will greatly diminish. Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 21 May 2021

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.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1536, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1709, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of squander was in 1536

Dictionary Entries Near squander

Cite this Entry

“Squander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squander. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

squander

verb
squan·​der
ˈskwän-dər
squandered; squandering
-d(ə-)riŋ
: to spend foolishly or wastefully
squandered all her money on video games
squanderer
-dər-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on squander

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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