binge eating
noun
variants
or less commonly binge-eating
: an act or pattern of excessive or compulsive consumption of food
… if you deny yourself grandma's homemade pumpkin pie with whipped cream, it could haunt your dreams like Scrooge's ghosts. Sometimes, that feeling of deprivation leads to binge eating.—
John Boyle
John Boyle
specifically
: uncontrolled compulsive eating especially as a symptom of bulimia or binge eating disorder
Their binge eating is not what most people call binging, as when they occasionally start on a bag of chips or on a gallon of ice cream and just keep going. Instead, their condition is in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It involves binging multiple times a week. —Gina Kolata
Gina Kolata
binge eat
verb transitive + intransitive
binge ate; binge eaten; binge eating; binge eats
If you realize that certain situations cause the urge to binge eat, create a plan in advance to avoid those scenarios or identify a trusted family member or friend who can help you, [Chelsea] Kronengold suggests.
—Vanessa Caceres and Anna Medaris Miller
Vanessa Caceres and Anna Medaris Miller
But try not to binge eat junk food and choose instead to enjoy your favorite unhealthy foods in moderation.
—Laura Hotinger
Laura Hotinger
binge eater
noun
plural binge eaters
Many binge eaters eat alone because it is really a solitary event, not a social one.
—Bobbie Randall
Bobbie Randall
Examples of binge eating in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This was the case for me, as a freshman who was secretly stuck in a cycle of binge eating and restriction but whose outer appearance didn’t change.
—Mallary Tenore Tarpley, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Other Ambien users have reported a variety of side effects, including sleepwalking, binge eating and even driving at night without realizing or remembering the incidents.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 22 July 2025
Alcohol and binge eating became his escapes — which only made the situation worse.
—Cynthia Sanz, People.com, 9 July 2025
One study found that after bariatric surgery, experiencing continued weight stigma was associated with higher risks of depression, anxiety and disordered eating such as binge eating.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
While the authors have shown that there is an association between certain bacteria and binge eating, the bacteria may not be directly causing the problem, said Byndloss, an assistant professor at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
—Linda Carroll, NBC News, 28 June 2024
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Mallary Tenore Tarpley, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Other Ambien users have reported a variety of side effects, including sleepwalking, binge eating and even driving at night without realizing or remembering the incidents.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 22 July 2025
Alcohol and binge eating became his escapes — which only made the situation worse.
—Cynthia Sanz, People.com, 9 July 2025
One study found that after bariatric surgery, experiencing continued weight stigma was associated with higher risks of depression, anxiety and disordered eating such as binge eating.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
While the authors have shown that there is an association between certain bacteria and binge eating, the bacteria may not be directly causing the problem, said Byndloss, an assistant professor at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
—Linda Carroll, NBC News, 28 June 2024
Cite this Entry
“Binge eating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/binge%20eating. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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