1
as in to consume
to destroy all trace of
a series of devastating storms devoured the beach on the south side of the island
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to spend
to make complete use of
a catastrophic medical event that devoured their savings
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 devour
And then there were those who apologized for not taking a photo before devouring a slice — or an entire pie!
—
Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 10 June 2026
Growing up in the Lowcountry, summertime meant peeling shrimp around the table and devouring watermelon in the backyard.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 9 June 2026
The flesh-eating virus that already is devouring college athletics is now taking a very serious bite out of common sense.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
When a fire tore through Kantamanto that January, devouring eight acres, or nearly 60 percent of the market’s retail-facing side, the community of 30,000 retailers, traders and vendors all but lost hope in a business model that was already buckling under fashion’s ever-quickening pace.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for devour
Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 10 June 2026
Growing up in the Lowcountry, summertime meant peeling shrimp around the table and devouring watermelon in the backyard.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 9 June 2026
The flesh-eating virus that already is devouring college athletics is now taking a very serious bite out of common sense.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
When a fire tore through Kantamanto that January, devouring eight acres, or nearly 60 percent of the market’s retail-facing side, the community of 30,000 retailers, traders and vendors all but lost hope in a business model that was already buckling under fashion’s ever-quickening pace.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for devour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devour
Verb
-
Air conditioning a smaller space consumes less energy, and that savings can be passed along to the guest.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
As conditions of his bond, he has been ordered not to possess any weapons or consume alcohol or drugs and must submit to random urine tests, according to court documents.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
But with a growing awareness of the mental health risks posed by children spending too much time online, Starmer has decided to go further after speaking to parents and considering evidence from Australia, which brought in a ban for under-16s last year.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
-
Carolina spent the first part of the Stanley Cup Final surviving, finding ways to overcome deficits and play a high-scoring game that didn’t fit the Hurricanes’ typical style.—
Mark Anderson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The workers inhale these particles, and many develop a severe and rapidly progressive form of silicosis.—
David Michaels,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
-
The fish will inhale the lure and clamp down hard.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The hotel’s wellness center offers Ayurvedic herbal scrubs, Reiki, hydrotherapy, lymphatic draining massages, colonics and acupuncture.—
Sandra Guzmán,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Rather than trying to gulp the slimy thing down, Wilkinson went into the kitchen and prepared an extravagant breakfast for himself, complete with Dr Pepper to wash it down.—
Matthew Jackson,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
-
Others can’t stand the sound of gulping.—
Sloane Crosley,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Her blood loss was reportedly so severe that the hospital exhausted its supply of her blood type during treatment.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
-
Jones countered with more than $25 million from his own family fortune, fueling a contest that left both candidates bruised and voters exhausted.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Now, people have been crammed into around 40 percent of the space left to them — sheltering among broken buildings, rubble and mounting solid waste.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
The DeSantis aide who drafted the map crammed as many Democrats as possible into the 20th District, which made the adjacent district more Republican-oriented.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Experts also speculate that the darker blue color may be helping the Reflecting Pool absorb more heat.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu made a mistake earlier that led to Mexico's goal and 1-0 lead, but Kim just kept his team down just one goal after saving a hard shot in the 71st minute by absorbing a hard shot from Raúl Jiménez to his chest and face.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devour. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
