1
as in sipping
to swallow in liquid form
the doctor wants her to drink lots of water before the examination
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in boozing
to partake excessively of alcoholic beverages
we're worried that she's started drinking again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in absorbing
to take in (something liquid) through small openings
the hot surface of the porous rock drank water like a sponge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of drinking
Staying active, meditating, drinking plenty of water and getting a full night’s sleep.
—
Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Snag drinking glasses for 50% off and organic cotton cloth napkins for more than half off, plus check out big savings on entire dinnerware sets and more.
—Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
While drinking enough water will help keep your skin hydrated, Emirates cabin crew member Alexandra Johnson said products are also key.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2025
People taking the drug are also advised against eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice to avoid drug interaction.
—Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 5 Nov. 2025
With that goal in mind, Dijkstra has constructed a scheme to ensure that King Radovid stops drinking and sulking over Jaskier and embraces his role as one of the few remaining leaders who can oppose Emhyr’s army.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
If your cat is not drinking enough, try to make water more enticing by adding a drop of tuna juice for flavor.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Councilman Scotty Johnson said the city needs to strike a balance between ensuring businesses can make money and keeping order late at night, especially when people have been drinking.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 29 Oct. 2025
Though some people do entirely substitute cannabis for alcohol, this doesn’t appear to be having widespread effects on drinking.
—Kate Bernot, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Snag drinking glasses for 50% off and organic cotton cloth napkins for more than half off, plus check out big savings on entire dinnerware sets and more.
—Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
While drinking enough water will help keep your skin hydrated, Emirates cabin crew member Alexandra Johnson said products are also key.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2025
People taking the drug are also advised against eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice to avoid drug interaction.
—Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 5 Nov. 2025
With that goal in mind, Dijkstra has constructed a scheme to ensure that King Radovid stops drinking and sulking over Jaskier and embraces his role as one of the few remaining leaders who can oppose Emhyr’s army.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
If your cat is not drinking enough, try to make water more enticing by adding a drop of tuna juice for flavor.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Councilman Scotty Johnson said the city needs to strike a balance between ensuring businesses can make money and keeping order late at night, especially when people have been drinking.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 29 Oct. 2025
Though some people do entirely substitute cannabis for alcohol, this doesn’t appear to be having widespread effects on drinking.
—Kate Bernot, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drinking
Verb
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Visitors can slip into a cozy seersucker robe and watch sailboats drift by while sipping a cocktail.—
Gabi De la Rosa,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
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Beyond lies a private stretch of sand — perfect for launching a kayak or paddleboard at sunrise, or sipping wine as the sun sets over Buzzards Bay.—
Miriam Schwartz,
Boston Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Ferrara makes no bones about the catastrophic consequences of so much boozing and chasing the dragon on his personal life and finances.—
Nick Pinkerton,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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At the same time, unlike other artists of the bro-country ilk, Aldean personally refrained from boozing it up throughout the show, waiting to pull out a red Solo cup with a shot of tequila in it until there were just 11 minutes left in a set that ran 97.—
Theoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Under the proposal, districts such as CA-01, CA-03, CA-22, CA-41 and CA-48 are set to shift by shedding conservative-leaning counties and absorbing more Democratic-leaning areas.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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González de Arrieta emphasized the importance of developing new coatings with better light-absorbing properties for solar towers.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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One night Icarius got all his friends together for a wine-tasting party that quickly got out of hand and turned into a wine-gulping party.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
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The pressure is always on the taker, the player standing, gulping, trying desperately not to unload their lunch onto the turf, preparing to do something theoretically simple — kick the ball into the net from 12 yards with only one opponent able to stop them.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When To Seek Medical Care Things like fizzy drinks, overeating, or swallowing air can cause bloating.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Signs of botulism include difficulty swallowing or breathing, slurred speech and muscle weakness.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Millennials and Gen Xers saw a 14-point fall in the last year alone, with just 56 percent of them now imbibing.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drinking. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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