1
as in to consume
to take in as food
having gone all day without food, we greedily ate the hamburgers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to erode
to consume or wear away gradually
the pot's protective coating was eaten away by the acid
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to dine
to take a meal
where's the best place to eat in this town?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to bother
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
it really eats me the way people go to national parks to enjoy nature—and then leave their litter behind
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of eat
Every time Forrest eats, his small intestine breaks down the resulting slurry of kibble into glucose and other compounds.
—
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
What to eat, drink and do 🌮 A Derby party, Cinco de Mayo feasts and a crawfish boil headline May’s best food events.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 1 May 2026
Elon Musk has eaten there, as have some notable other rich people.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2026
Several storms and a brutal Winter ate away at the dunes, which left behind steep cliffs.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for eat
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
What to eat, drink and do 🌮 A Derby party, Cinco de Mayo feasts and a crawfish boil headline May’s best food events.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 1 May 2026
Elon Musk has eaten there, as have some notable other rich people.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2026
Several storms and a brutal Winter ate away at the dunes, which left behind steep cliffs.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for eat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eat
Verb
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According to the World Instant Noodles Association, Americans consumed over 5 billion servings of instant noodles in 2024.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 May 2026
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The closest institutional precedent is the International Energy Agency itself, founded in 1974 explicitly as a consuming-nations counterweight to OPEC.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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In the process, however, one of the big distinguishing aspects of TV – the large audiences who once assembled to watch dramas, sitcoms and reality shows – has eroded.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
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The Florida Mobile Home Act offers little real protection against excessive rent hikes or misleading practices that erode homeowners’ equity and quality of life.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Five-star hotel stays at more than $1,500 a night while dining at fine restaurants twice a day.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
2 May 2026
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Now Los Angeles Times editor Daniel Hernandez, too, has reported on his meal at Noma LA, even as the paper’s critics declined to dine there.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 May 2026
Verb
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After a frustrating conversation with a hotel staffer about the air conditioning, a hot and bothered Fuller threw on a ball cap, turned it backward and recorded a rant on his cellphone.—
Tia Mitchell,
AJC.com,
1 May 2026
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Nine months after Varland was traded, Twins fans are still bothered the hometown kid isn’t clicking for them instead, especially given recent results from Minnesota’s bullpen.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The result was a collection of photographs that both capture the culture and the people of Mexico and record Hurst’s particular proclivities, the food that fed his hungry eye.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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In that loss, the Bulls led by one point with a chance to win at the end when Magic star Nick Anderson stole the ball from Jordan and fed Horace Grant for a go-ahead dunk.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The non-meat use of the term came from the online chat room community, which by the late 1980s was already using it to denote a mass influx of data into their chat rooms that could trigger a computer crash and/or annoy chat room users.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the president doesn’t get annoyed with him once or twice.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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No matter the occasion, weeknight or family gathering, there was always something to snack on.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 May 2026
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Add these to a cheese spread, sprinkle over a salad, or simply snack on them by the handful.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Although pest control companies offer lethal solutions such as carpenter bee traps or chemical treatments, the best way to keep carpenter bees from bugging you is using stained, sealed, varnished or treated wood in building projects.—
Sarah Linn
April 24,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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Upon arriving at big-league camp this spring, Rojas said the different grip initially bugged him.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Eat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eat. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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