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
North Carolina saw more than 100 cases of a sometimes flesh-eating bacteria in 2025.
—Eva Flowe
may 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 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
Cases of a flesh-eating infection miles from Texas’ border with Mexico are alarming officials about the return of a parasitic fly that was once eradicated.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 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, 24 Apr. 2026
What to know about New World screwworm Federal health officials reported on Monday that cases of a flesh-eating parasitic infection continue to be detected near the United States.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
There are now concerns about flesh-eating bacteria.
—Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
One group dipped their arrows in a toxic substance that caused a fatal flesh-eating disease.
—Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
Miller, whose office is also working to control the flesh-eating parasite, was not part of the event.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 15 Feb. 2026
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Eva Flowe
may 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 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
Cases of a flesh-eating infection miles from Texas’ border with Mexico are alarming officials about the return of a parasitic fly that was once eradicated.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 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, 24 Apr. 2026
What to know about New World screwworm Federal health officials reported on Monday that cases of a flesh-eating parasitic infection continue to be detected near the United States.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
There are now concerns about flesh-eating bacteria.
—Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
One group dipped their arrows in a toxic substance that caused a fatal flesh-eating disease.
—Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
Miller, whose office is also working to control the flesh-eating parasite, was not part of the event.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flesh-eating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flesh-eating. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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