1
as in luxuries
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 deserts
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops
an area that was a barren waste after the strip-mining had ended
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in expanses
a wide space or area
a legendary mariner doomed to sail the watery wastes of the world until Judgment Day
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in erosions
a gradual weakening, loss, or destruction
the slow waste of the once broad beach by the relentless tide
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in spends
to use up carelessly
he wasted his lottery winnings on booze-soaked nights with gold diggers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroys
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 weakens
to diminish the physical strength of
endless months of inactivity wasted him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 wastes
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Placental Mammals Placental mammal, (infraclass Eutheria), any member of the mammalian group characterized by the presence of a placenta, which facilitates exchange of nutrients and wastes between the blood of the mother and that of the fetus.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
This digital commute creates heat and wastes power.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Mar. 2026
Other medications act like poison, killing kidney tubule cells, which help to filter wastes and reabsorb nutrients.
—Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Watering between 10 am and 4 pm wastes water; most of it evaporates before reaching roots.
—Kate McKenna, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026
If economic rationality alone served as the driving reason for enclosure, then privatizing wastes, land considered no good for farming, would have made no sense.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Each unsuccessful treatment takes, and wastes, precious time.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 18 Feb. 2026
The structure of geopolymers can also be designed to act as adsorbents, attracting toxic metals in wastewater and capturing and storing radioactive wastes.
—Alcina Johnson Sudagar, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
Robertas Bakula, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
Watering for too long, at the wrong time of day, or incorrectly costs money and wastes a precious resource.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
War wastes innocent lives, trillions of dollars and time better spent on, for example, global climate change and the necessary global cooperation needed to address it.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2026
Traditional manufacturing of refractory metals wastes up to 95% of the raw material through machining – removing unwanted material to create the precise shape – but 3D printing can bring that figure close to zero.
—Vitor Rielli, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
Fife, the civil rights attorney, said counties’ failures to release people wastes taxpayer dollars but also robs people of their jobs, families and health care.
—Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Compared to many other countries, Texas wastes an extraordinary amount of water through outdated infrastructure, inefficient consumption, and lack of innovation.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Puffing also wastes fuel and risks damaging the engine if done repeatedly — another reason drivers shouldn’t make a habit out of it.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
Pekau responded to the decision with a blog post maintaining the lawsuit is politically motivated and wastes taxpayer money.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
Netflix‘s latest action extravaganza wastes zero time in getting to the good stuff, so this review won’t either.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Placental Mammals Placental mammal, (infraclass Eutheria), any member of the mammalian group characterized by the presence of a placenta, which facilitates exchange of nutrients and wastes between the blood of the mother and that of the fetus.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
This digital commute creates heat and wastes power.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Mar. 2026
Other medications act like poison, killing kidney tubule cells, which help to filter wastes and reabsorb nutrients.
—Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Watering between 10 am and 4 pm wastes water; most of it evaporates before reaching roots.
—Kate McKenna, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026
If economic rationality alone served as the driving reason for enclosure, then privatizing wastes, land considered no good for farming, would have made no sense.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Each unsuccessful treatment takes, and wastes, precious time.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 18 Feb. 2026
The structure of geopolymers can also be designed to act as adsorbents, attracting toxic metals in wastewater and capturing and storing radioactive wastes.
—Alcina Johnson Sudagar, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
Verb
Why do Californians, most of whom also believe the state wastes taxpayer money anyway, support the BWT?
—Robertas Bakula, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
Watering for too long, at the wrong time of day, or incorrectly costs money and wastes a precious resource.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
War wastes innocent lives, trillions of dollars and time better spent on, for example, global climate change and the necessary global cooperation needed to address it.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2026
Traditional manufacturing of refractory metals wastes up to 95% of the raw material through machining – removing unwanted material to create the precise shape – but 3D printing can bring that figure close to zero.
—Vitor Rielli, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
Fife, the civil rights attorney, said counties’ failures to release people wastes taxpayer dollars but also robs people of their jobs, families and health care.
—Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Compared to many other countries, Texas wastes an extraordinary amount of water through outdated infrastructure, inefficient consumption, and lack of innovation.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Puffing also wastes fuel and risks damaging the engine if done repeatedly — another reason drivers shouldn’t make a habit out of it.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
Pekau responded to the decision with a blog post maintaining the lawsuit is politically motivated and wastes taxpayer money.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wastes
Noun
-
Uniting the Selke Guys One of the luxuries Tampa has at its disposal is having two terrific defensive centers in Anthony Cirelli and Yanni Gourde.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Our room, for example, had luxuries like a bathtub that jutted out from the bathroom, overlooking the oversized terrace that stepped us into the layered garden.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Banks says part of Cadence OTC’s goal is to serve health care deserts by placing its contraceptive and UTI relief products in convenience stores, such as 7-Elevens, rather than pharmacies where these products already exist.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Sheila cruised through stunning mountain ranges and vast deserts — where surely no Reliant Robin has gone before.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In these plans, recalled Douglas Vakoch, president of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) International in San Francisco, huge diagrams would be etched on large expanses of land here on Earth.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Large expanses of glass keep the outdoors in constant view, so the house shifts with the light throughout the day.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
He’s known for building intentional cracks and erosions into his works, which often reveal an interior geology of materials like crystals or gears, and more recently, labyrinth staircases populated with small figures, not unlike a surreal antique dollhouse.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
These erosions leak into other areas of law.—
Emily Galvin Almanza,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Barden spends a lot of time speaking to agents and other athlete representatives.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
How Gen X spends Shoppers are seen outside the French multinational personal care and beauty retail brand Sephora store in Spain.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Levine Cava said the Kelly Tractor project destroys too many wetlands and bypasses county rules on approving development proposed outside Miami-Dade’s Urban Development Boundary.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The novel begins with a deadly fire that destroys two tenements.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Expanding nonmedical exemptions, however, weakens the very protections those medically vulnerable children depend on.—
Sarah Marsicek,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Critics say allowing the department to delay or sideline state investigations weakens one of the last independent checks on government lawyers.—
Jaclyn Diaz,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And as in those days, extravagances like butler service and delicacies like caviar, lobster, and seafood towers are at the ready.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Still, Stroheim’s spending was out of control—literally so, insofar as attempting to rein him in seemed to provoke new extravagances.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wastes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wastes. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
