absorbs

verb

present tense third-person singular of absorb
1
as in drinks
to take in (something liquid) through small openings most of the spilled water was absorbed by the tablecloth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in occupies
to hold the attention of chatting on the phone doesn't absorb me so much that I can't do something else at the same time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in integrates
to make a part of a body or system local schools will seek to absorb the new immigrants into the regular curriculum as quickly as possible

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in consumes
to make complete use of cleaning the house absorbed the rest of his energy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in tolerates
to put up with (something painful or difficult) somehow she managed to absorb whatever hardships life offered

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of absorbs The motor absorbs the worst of steep hill climbs, dramatically reducing stress on the kneecap. — Michael Swartzon, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026 Rothman described her as a careful listener who absorbs information quickly and could be trusted when events overtake the script. — Rick Maese, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026 The forest absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that drives global warming. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026 That time can be easy to miss if the engineering budget covers the software and another team absorbs the exceptions. — Swapnil Upganlawar, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Another rear wall attached to the craft then safely absorbs this cloud of debris. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 As Krupa Koestline, cosmetic chemist and founder of KKT Innovation Labs Krupa Koestline, once explained to Vogue, BEMT is a filter that absorbs both UVB and UVA rays. — Audrey Noble, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026 The researchers built the cathode from lead-halide perovskites, a semiconductor material that absorbs light and converts it into electrical energy. — New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026 But genuinely funny moments are rare, badly outnumbered by done-to-death musings regarding the mysteries of being alive and torturous melodramatic moments in which Klara dully absorbs the severity of Josie’s illness and Chrissy’s sorrow. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for absorbs
  1. drinks
  2. occupies
  3. integrates
  4. consumes
  5. tolerates
  6. swallows
  7. immerses
  8. incorporates
Verb
  • Mature skin drinks it in, looking plumper and healthier with every application.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2026
  • As a rule of thumb, buy any decor or supplies the week before your event, deep clean your house within the week of, and purchase any fresh food and drinks the day before, sources said.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of drinks
Verb
  • Strikes target strategic island Qeshm Island occupies a critical position near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Walnut Room occupies a 17,000-square-foot space on the seventh floor of the former Marshall Field and Company Building and is the first and longest-running department store restaurant, opening in 1907 as the South Tea Room.
    — Allison Yates, Midwest Living, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of occupies
Verb
  • The practical benefits will depend on how the Navy integrates the system into its logistics and operational procedures.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed an ultrathin, flexible electronic mesh that integrates with living human heart cells and converts their mechanical movements into electricity.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of integrates
Verb
  • That approach consumes considerable material and takes time during clearance operations.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Interest already consumes more resources than national defense.
    — Judi Willard, Baltimore Sun, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of consumes
Verb
  • Ye-ji has a hunky hedge-fund-type husband, Sang-woo (Zo In-sung), who condescendingly tolerates, but doesn’t finance, his wife’s cinematic caprices.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Even if your skin generally tolerates exfoliation well, dermatologists warn that AHAs can increase sun sensitivity, making your skin more vulnerable to UV damage.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of tolerates
Verb
  • Even more so in Bates’ home of Aroostook County, which swallows some 6,700 square miles way up near the Canadian border.
    — Rachel Siegel, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In many of his shots, the big sky of Ukraine’s fields and steppe swallows the frame.
    — Sophie Pinkham, The New York Review of Books, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of swallows
Verb
  • Centre d’Art Marcel Gagnon is a riverside accommodation that immerses guests in the works of local artists, with 100 waterfront sculptures comprising a large-scale art installation and an on-site gallery.
    — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2026
  • In Nobody Wants This, agnostic podcaster Joanne Williams (Kristen Bell) begins an unexpected romance with Rabbi Noah Roklov (Brody), which shakes both their families as Joanne immerses herself in Noah’s culture and decides to convert to Judaism.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of immerses
Verb
  • Developed in-house, the interior incorporates aluminum displays, natural oak furnishings, curved architectural elements and pale peach accents.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026
  • And, like all the products from the beloved French pharmacy brand, the SPF incorporates a burst of thermal spring water to soothe and nourish the skin.
    — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of incorporates

Browse Nearby Words

absorbing
absorbs
absorption
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Absorbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absorbs. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quondam

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All