1
as in consumed
to take in as food
having gone all day without food, we greedily ate the hamburgers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in eroded
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 dined
to take a meal
where's the best place to eat in this town?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in annoyed
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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
The Knicks had a good test in front of them and apparently just ate the Scantron instead of filling it out.
—Zach Harper, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
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
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
The Knicks had a good test in front of them and apparently just ate the Scantron instead of filling it out.
—Zach Harper, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ate
Verb
-
Three fires in the state have consumed more than 1,140 square miles of mostly grassland.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Rick’s life falls apart as he becomes consumed with being left out of the songwriting credit but has no way to prove the idea was his.—
Jada Yuan,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In Lebanon, Hezbollah’s wide popularity has been eroded by the fighting.—
Greg Dixon,
NPR,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The landscape first took shape more than 320 million years ago, as wind and rain slowly eroded the forest’s vast sedimentary rock deposits.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Inside the restaurant, even in this offseason, the small space was full; a few dined alfresco, unbothered by the crisp evening air.—
Vic O'Sullivan,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The team chartered into Miami on a flight from Italy on Monday, and then dined together in Miami Beach and visited a nightclub where hundreds of fans clamored to get inside.—
Darlene Superville,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Still, Clarkson was annoyed about not receiving her reality TV prizes after learning that American Idol season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken and his mother were gifted cars from production.—
Daysia Tolentino,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The bartender is annoyed and goes for a smoke.—
E.R. Pulgar,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In every scene, Terry Malloy is being devoured by regret, torn apart about doing the right thing, and simmering with an existential anxiety that could blow at any second.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Partially cut plants will sag and wilt, while small seedlings can be devoured entirely.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In one sequence, Tatum fired a quick-trigger pass to Baylor Scheierman in the corner, and when Scheierman misfired, Brown grabbed the rebound and fed Payton Pritchard (19 points, seven assists) for an open three.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Each ship name in the class has fed into a theme on board, with Wish tied to enchantment, Treasure to adventure and Destiny to heroes and villains.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But China showed little immediate sign that it was bothered by the likely delay, which analysts told NBC News may actually prove beneficial to efforts to further stabilize relations.—
Janis Mackey Frayer,
NBC news,
17 Mar. 2026
-
When you can't be bothered with opening up a bottle of nail polish, nail wraps are your mess-free option.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
All across Northern California, diners feasted on matsutake in countless forms.—
Becky Duffett,
San Francisco Chronicle,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Beyond the dance floor, guests played games of mahjong, sang karaoke and feasted on spring rolls, roast duck and other delicacies while sipping Hennessy cocktails inspired by the Year of the Fire Horse.—
Michaela Zee,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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