flesh-eating
adjective
flesh-eat·ing
ˈflesh-ˌē-tiŋ 
: feeding on or destroying flesh or soft tissue
A Kentucky man was diagnosed with a flesh-eating infection after he went camping along the Green River.—
Dayton (Ohio) Daily News
Dayton (Ohio) Daily News… infestation by blowflies whose eggs hatch into flesh-eating maggots.—Kerry Capell
Kerry CapellBut according to Eugenie Clark, a University of Maryland zoologist, "the white shark, the largest flesh-eating fish, is anything but a mindless, constant eating machine."—Discover
DiscoverNatural history buffs will find … a 145-million-year-old foot from the Allosaur, one of the largest flesh-eating dinosaurs …—Carolyn Hughes Crowley
see also flesh-eating bacterium, flesh-eating disease
Carolyn Hughes CrowleyExamples of flesh-eating in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Health officials in Florida have confirmed five cases of a rare, flesh-eating bacteria so far in 2026.
—Miami Herald, 3 June 2026
The bacteria, found in salt and brackish water, can cause flesh-eating infections and thrives as coastal waters warm.
—Eva Flowe
june 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
Health officials in Florida have confirmed five cases of a rare, flesh-eating bacteria so far in 2026, including one case right here in South Florida.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 3 June 2026
Officials in late May identified a goat infected with the flesh-eating infection, which is spread via screwworm flies.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Even before this flesh-eating escalation, some of the Hamptons’ bays and ponds have faced declining water quality.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 30 May 2026
The flesh-eating bacteria is fatal for 1 in 5 people, according to the CDC, which warns that some people die within a day or two of exhibiting symptoms.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Coupled with that, all live cattle imports from Mexico have been suspended since July due to an outbreak of New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite.
—Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Blood and tissue samples turned up positive for Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacterium found in warm, brackish waters.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
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Miami Herald, 3 June 2026
The bacteria, found in salt and brackish water, can cause flesh-eating infections and thrives as coastal waters warm.
—Eva Flowe
june 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
Health officials in Florida have confirmed five cases of a rare, flesh-eating bacteria so far in 2026, including one case right here in South Florida.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 3 June 2026
Officials in late May identified a goat infected with the flesh-eating infection, which is spread via screwworm flies.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Even before this flesh-eating escalation, some of the Hamptons’ bays and ponds have faced declining water quality.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 30 May 2026
The flesh-eating bacteria is fatal for 1 in 5 people, according to the CDC, which warns that some people die within a day or two of exhibiting symptoms.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Coupled with that, all live cattle imports from Mexico have been suspended since July due to an outbreak of New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite.
—Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Blood and tissue samples turned up positive for Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacterium found in warm, brackish waters.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flesh-eating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flesh-eating. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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