CONSUME Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

consume

verb

kən-ˈsüm

Definition of consume

as in to devour

to destroy all trace of massive fires had consumed hundreds of square miles of forest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to spend

to make complete use of the mining company consumed all of the local mineral resources and then moved on

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to eat

to take in as food hungry enough to consume most of the pie

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 consume The manufacturer of NarcX+ states that medications become irretrievable in less than two hours, and consuming any of the NarcX+ liquid will cause vomiting. — Sunny Linnebur, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026 Minhaj’s wife danced competitively, and Venkataramanujam performed with an a cappella team called Chai Town, giving him firsthand knowledge of how consuming the competition circuit can become. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026 Football players are some of the biggest fans, with NFL teams consuming at least 80,000 sandwiches a year. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026 Too hot, and metabolism spikes, consumes oxygen and opens the door to disease. — Nilton Bernini, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for consume

Recent Examples of Synonyms for consume

Verb

Joscha Bach of the California Institute for Machine Consciousness, another AGI pioneer, says a truly intelligent system should not need to devour the entire Internet and consume vast amounts of computing power for even the simplest query.

— George Musser, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
Soon Drews noticed the speed with which her cheesecakes were devoured.

— David Farley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of devour

Verb

Home-server owners will already understand the attraction, and the pro’s solved this ages ago but spent a lot more than this.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2026
The president responded by saying his administration wouldn't spend the $257 million appropriated by Congress on renovating the building unless the building also bears his name.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

Before the attack, millions of books a year were printed in this space, where there’s now nothing but piles of swollen book stock, ruined after firefighters put out the blaze.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
But Timothy Leary’s version became the dominant idea of psychedelics, and when President Ronald Reagan’s War on Drugs began, psychedelics were vilified as the gateway to ruin.

— Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruin

Verb

Detectives drained three dams, searched six mineshafts and sent up drones with specialized cameras to take detailed imagery, later analyzed with artificial intelligence.

— Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
The book leans on research about decision fatigue—the idea that even trivial choices drain the mental capacity available for harder ones—to argue that the sheer volume of daily inputs, not just their content, has a cost.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

The block that houses Monarch Donuts will soon be demolished as construction starts on a new retail and residential development called the Arcadia Town Center.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
Some are also concerned that the president's proposal for the arch, along with other projects like the ballroom and threats to demolish the Kennedy Center, could significantly alter Washington's landscape.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of demolish

Verb

The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have become grinding contests over which side can exhaust the other’s military capacity, economic resources, and political will.

— NADIA SCHADLOW, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2026
This change responds to the numerous college athlete-plaintiffs who have exhausted their NCAA eligibility, but who seek to continue playing or return to competition.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

The team examined both the vessel's operational technology and information-technology systems and worked with the crew and the ship's corporate operators to eradicate the threat.

— Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Yellow starthistle is difficult to eradicate by mowing or burning because of its long roots and fire-resistant seeds, TreePeople said.

— Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of eradicate

Browse Nearby Words

consumable

consume

consumed

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Style

“Consume.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consume. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of consume

verb

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