ate

Definition of atenext
past tense of eat
1
2
3
4

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 ate On one day in late December, Eden barely ate all day. Angela Andaloro, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025 While neither is an effective big league pitcher at this point, those moves ate into the Yankees’ limited rotation depth. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025 Some theologians argued that Adam and Eve, as well as all the animals in the Garden of Eden, ate only plants. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 4 Aug. 2025 Modest renovations accomplished that goal — the space pulses with history and nostalgia as old photos hint at how, decades ago, neighbors ate and drank shoulder to shoulder here. Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2025 In testing, 75% of users ate a greater variety of plants than before using the app. Nicki Sprinz, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025 Val, without saying a word, grabbed the locust from the guy and ate it. Tom Gliatto, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025 Pigs and other animals brought to the island also ate dodo eggs. Mike Snider, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025 One study found that men who ate whole eggs immediately after resistance exercise experienced greater post-exercise muscle protein synthesis rates than men who consumed egg whites. Jillian Kubala, Rd, Health, 25 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ate
Verb
  • Potential Risks of Drinking Green Tea Green tea is generally considered safe and healthy when consumed in normal amounts, such as a few cups a day.
    Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 15 Sep. 2026
  • As the Iranian war consumed the White House’s attention, the situation in Gaza all but collapsed.
    Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The trend is part of the broader nationalization of American politics, which has steadily eroded the independence candidates once enjoyed from their political parties.
    Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026
  • According to them, Trump’s policies on tariffs, aid, and allies have eroded the United States’ standing, opening the door for people across the world to switch their allegiance to China.
    Adam Y. Liu, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The mezzanine was centered with a wedding cake and guests dined in the Baxter room at tables decorated with wedding flowers in shades of ivory and butter yellow.
    Cary Jenkins, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The new couple—who have been linked since they were photographed together at Coachella—dined around the city, showing off their coordinating couple style.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The rare curtain call on the road continued an outpouring of support from Mets fans for Alonso over the past two nights — and apparently annoyed at least one of his former teammates.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • One guy in cargo shorts and a battered Ramones T-shirt kept casting dirty looks at the sky, clearly annoyed at the thumping of the TV news helicopters — there were at least three overhead at all times — drowning out his commentary.
    Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Soon Drews noticed the speed with which her cheesecakes were devoured.
    David Farley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Typically just a minute or two in length, the videos are devoured by Chinese audiences at breakfast, on their morning commutes, during their lunch breaks and on their free time after work — and almost any time in between.
    Ling Wei, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • There are two electric motors, one driving each axle, and they're fed by a 49-kWh usable battery.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Sep. 2026
  • In May 2025, a nearby oil pipeline owned by Energy Transfer, a Dallas company, leaked 6,800 barrels of crude oil into a sewer line that fed into the Village Creek water treatment plant.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • She was treated with such indifference by the Bordens that, with the exception of Abby, no one bothered to learn her name, calling her by the name of their last servant, Maggie, instead.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • What’s bothered me, though, is how its backers have anchored their messaging around a lot of misleading generalizations about the state of college sports.
    Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The pundits feasted on her neutrality, most venomously Megyn Kelly, who called her a coward.
    Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • For dinner, guests feasted on a family-style meal centered around fresh Northern California produce, carefully selected by John Silva of Culinary Eye Events.
    Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 23 Aug. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Ate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ate. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on ate

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster