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as in to drink
to take in (something liquid) through small openings most of the spilled water was absorbed by the tablecloth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to integrate
to make a part of a body or system local schools will seek to absorb the new immigrants into the regular curriculum as quickly as possible

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 absorb Autler and Townes knew that when light hit an atom, the atom would absorb its energy by exciting an electron from one energy level to a higher one. Thomas Linker, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025 Moreover, industrial farming contributes to pollution, wastewater irrigation or road dust that may cause toxins to end up in foods as plants absorb what is around them. Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025 Off the opposite coast, along western Africa, the cable negotiated the Congo Canyon by heading further out to sea and skirting it entirely; the additional length of cable would be more expensive, but there are few companies better placed than Meta to absorb that extra cost. Samanth Subramanian, The Dial, 14 Oct. 2025 But that didn’t prevent Orlov from absorbing a lot of outside criticism for his play during the Eastern Conference final in May, as Carolina was eliminated in five games by the Florida Panthers, who would go on to win their second straight Stanley Cup. Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for absorb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for absorb
Verb
  • Kevin Federline claims that Britney Spears drank while pregnant and did cocaine while breastfeeding in new excerpts from the former dancer’s upcoming memoir, published in several news outlets.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Follow the flickering jack-o-lanterns to The Meadow for games, music and seasonal food and drink around the firepits.
    John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The first campaign sees Doherty exploring and immersing himself within Jamaica’s vibrant culture alongside former Miss Universe Jamaica, Miqueal-Symone Williams.
    Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
  • The rangy star has previously immersed himself in performances that require both physical transformation and pitching outside of his comfort zone (see his extraordinary work as abolitionist John Brown in the limited series The Good Lord Bird).
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The results come at a time when thousands of schools are opting to integrate financial skills into their curriculum, while at the same time, reading levels among students have hit all time lows.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Beyond employment, Wilson Administration officials re-segregated bathrooms, lunchrooms, and workspaces in federal buildings that had been integrated since the end of the Civil War.
    Time, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The term broadly refers to working out while consuming only slightly more calories than the body needs to maintain itself, and getting those calories from healthy sources.
    Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2025
  • These facilities consume vast amounts of energy, much of it to stay cool, a problem that optical links can help mitigate These facilities consume vast amounts of energy, much of it to stay cool.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Abbott was the first to announce the deployment of the Texas National Guard to Austin through a foreboding statement on X, warning that any disorder wouldn’t be tolerated.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Though enzymatic processes tolerate more contamination than many chemical ones, industrial plants will likely still require pretreatment (washing, grinding, delabeling) to avoid enzyme fouling.
    Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Live little fish on our tongues and swallowing them.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Especially with the roof closed, the seats swallow you up.
    Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Wine is something that interests me.
    Bryce Jones, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Tommaso di Lampedusa’s novel, which looks at the unification of Italy from the perspective of a 20th-century writer, had a modernity that interested me.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In 2001, under Paul Harvey’s creative direction, denim got a dedicated branding, while it was most recently incorporated in seasonal collections.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The bridge incorporates five viewing platforms fused with a curved structure, so pedestrians can pause and enjoy the scenic and panoramic view of the Singapore skyline.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Absorb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absorb. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

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