CONSUME Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

consume

verb

kən-ˈsüm

Definition of consume

as in to devour

to destroy all trace of massive fires had consumed hundreds of square miles of forest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to spend

to make complete use of the mining company consumed all of the local mineral resources and then moved on

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to eat

to take in as food hungry enough to consume most of the pie

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 consume Such growth is particularly important where populations are rising, as most food consumed is produced domestically. — Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026 This is not only because of the speed at which images are consumed, but also because these visual forms carry long histories. — Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026 Large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day, equivalent to the needs of a town of up to 50,000 residents, according to bipartisan nonprofit Environmental and Energy Study Institute. — Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026 But the agency didn’t call it a health and safety warning, which would have advised people not to consume the product. — Christopher Osher, ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for consume

Recent Examples of Synonyms for consume

Verb

Joscha Bach of the California Institute for Machine Consciousness, another AGI pioneer, says a truly intelligent system should not need to devour the entire Internet and consume vast amounts of computing power for even the simplest query.

— George Musser, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
Soon Drews noticed the speed with which her cheesecakes were devoured.

— David Farley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of devour

Verb

Home-server owners will already understand the attraction, and the pro’s solved this ages ago but spent a lot more than this.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2026
The president responded by saying his administration wouldn't spend the $257 million appropriated by Congress on renovating the building unless the building also bears his name.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

There are few breaks other than to sleep, eat, hydrate or get his bike fixed.

— Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The people who were gathered at tables around her, eating buffet tacos and sipping cans of Coke Zero, were first- and second-generation Americans getting ready to run for office or to work on political campaigns.

— Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of eat

Verb

To me, that would ruin all of the progress baseball has made over the last five years.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
My personal concern is especially based on the fact that their huge need for additional electricity generation could very well ruin our ability to reduce carbon emissions and avoid a climate crisis.

— Martin Kushler, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruin

Verb

As a young man, Francisco traversed it on horseback, eking out a living by draining resin from the towering pines.

— Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Management voluntarily closed the store until a three-compartment sink could be fixed to drain properly.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

In New York City, light-up drones recreated the outlines of the twin towers that used to be a fixture in the skyline before they were demolished in the attacks.

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 11 Sep. 2026
One drone operator talks about going out for lunch or hanging out with their friends in Tel Aviv after demolishing people’s houses in Gaza from miles away.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of demolish

Verb

Commanders should seek positional advantages without exhausting their soldiers, manipulate the enemy’s movements when possible, and recognize when circumstances make pursuit or attack unwise.

— Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
Then Shay Whitcomb, who is here only as a waiver-claim placeholder because the Giants exhausted all their infield depth, drove a pitch off the wall in center field to cap the six-run rally and give the Giants the lead.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

The team examined both the vessel's operational technology and information-technology systems and worked with the crew and the ship's corporate operators to eradicate the threat.

— Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Yellow starthistle is difficult to eradicate by mowing or burning because of its long roots and fire-resistant seeds, TreePeople said.

— Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of eradicate

Browse Nearby Words

consumable

consume

consumed

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Style

“Consume.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consume. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of consume

verb

Example Sentences

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