fritter away

1. Squander or waste little by little; wear down gradually. For example, She frittered away her salary on odds and ends and saved nothing. This expression was first recorded in Alexander Pope's Dunciad (1728): “How prologues into prefaces decay, And these to notes are fritter'd quite away.”

Example Sentences

He called the party a “mess” and wondered how its leaders might fritter away the momentum.

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But in recent years, that shame has started to fritter away - at least in some quarters.

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Beagle and Barker said they frittered away two hours at Pershing Square a few blocks away until around 4 p.m.

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A two-under 34 on the front nine failed to do that and when McIlroy frittered away two shots on the 10th, it was clear the championship was beyond his reach.

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Sam Burns and Adam Scott had frittered away their overnight advantage.

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