misspend
verb
mis·spend
ˌmis-ˈspend 
misspent
ˌmis-ˈspent
; misspending
; misspending
: to spend wrongly : squander
a misspent life
Synonyms
Examples of misspend in a Sentence
Several government officials have been accused of misspending public money.
warned that a childhood spent hanging around indoors was a misspent youth indeed
Recent Examples on the Web
Often, House Republicans have blasted the president for misspending coronavirus relief money, even though federal investigators have found the worst abuses occurred during the Trump administration.
—
Tony Romm, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Protect taxpayers from record high tax rates that get misspent in foreign wars of no strategic value to Americans.
—The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
The longtime head of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, misspent millions of dollars of the organization’s money, using the funds to pay for an extravagant lifestyle that included exotic getaways and trips on private planes and superyachts, a New York jury determined Friday.
—Jake Offenhartz, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2024
After reporting a $36 million deficit in 2018, fueled mostly by misspending, the NRA cut back on longstanding programs that had been core to its mission for decades, including training and education, recreational shooting and law enforcement initiatives.
—Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2024
The former director of the state's welfare agency pleaded guilty last year in a conspiracy to misspend the millions of dollars in the largest public corruption case in the state's history.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2023
The Associated Press reported June 13 that scammers and swindlers potentially swiped about $280 billion in COVID-19 emergency aid; another $123 billion was wasted or misspent.
—Richard Lardner, Fortune, 27 June 2023
California has seen multiple other controversies in recent years, not just A3, involving people accused of misspending public dollars through charter schools, which are publicly funded but independently run.
—Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2023
At least $77 million in federal funds intended for Mississippi's poor were either misspent or given to wealthy and connected Mississippians in the years between 2017 and 2020, when Reeves was lieutenant governor, according to the state auditor's office.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2023
Tony Romm, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Protect taxpayers from record high tax rates that get misspent in foreign wars of no strategic value to Americans.
—The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
The longtime head of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, misspent millions of dollars of the organization’s money, using the funds to pay for an extravagant lifestyle that included exotic getaways and trips on private planes and superyachts, a New York jury determined Friday.
—Jake Offenhartz, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2024
After reporting a $36 million deficit in 2018, fueled mostly by misspending, the NRA cut back on longstanding programs that had been core to its mission for decades, including training and education, recreational shooting and law enforcement initiatives.
—Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2024
The former director of the state's welfare agency pleaded guilty last year in a conspiracy to misspend the millions of dollars in the largest public corruption case in the state's history.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2023
The Associated Press reported June 13 that scammers and swindlers potentially swiped about $280 billion in COVID-19 emergency aid; another $123 billion was wasted or misspent.
—Richard Lardner, Fortune, 27 June 2023
California has seen multiple other controversies in recent years, not just A3, involving people accused of misspending public dollars through charter schools, which are publicly funded but independently run.
—Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2023
At least $77 million in federal funds intended for Mississippi's poor were either misspent or given to wealthy and connected Mississippians in the years between 2017 and 2020, when Reeves was lieutenant governor, according to the state auditor's office.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misspend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of misspend was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near misspend
Cite this Entry
“Misspend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misspend. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
misspend
verb
mis·spend
(ˈ)mis-ˈspend
misspent
-ˈspent
; misspending
; misspending
: waste entry 2 sense 3, squander
a misspent youth
More from Merriam-Webster on misspend
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share