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 premier beneficiary of this dynamic is Kinder Morgan, which physically moves about 40% of all natural gas consumed in the United States. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 Matcha is traditionally consumed unsweetened, while chai is commonly prepared with milk and sugar. — Lindsey Desoto, HEALTH, 23 Oct. 2026 Since 1950, humanity has consumed twenty-two zettajoules of energy. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 The data point is interesting in that the age range of respondents grew up consuming content by creators and influencers. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for consume

Recent Examples of Synonyms for consume

Verb

That money has helped keep the medical bills from devouring the Griffins' emergency savings.

— Stephanie O'Neill, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026
Here are the best of the hundreds of novels King fans have devoured for decades.

— Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of devour

Verb

Successful candidates will then be invited to spend a day at the bank’s offices where they are tested on banking regulation, their use of AI, and their ability to build calculations.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
The Finnish Government has granted Posiva Oy an operating license for the world’s first permanent underground repository for spent nuclear fuel.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

Raw eggs stored above ready to eat cut greens in reach-in refrigerator.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
The places where Baltzor typically ranges her cattle in the mountains were ravaged by record-size wildfires this summer, robbing them of the grass the herds usually eat.

— Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of eat

Verb

Burdick seemed to have drawn directly from McCarthy’s experience, the hopelessness of fighting with his father over a world his father had already ruined, the surrender to indulgence and mindless violence because…why not?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
Each room is also outfitted with a Yale smart lock, which means there’s no room for that horrible feeling of losing a room key to ruin your vacation.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruin

Verb

Allen drained it to extend Charlotte’s lead to 20, and then found Dennis Schröder for a high-five as Miami called a timeout.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
In hopes of restoring the water's blue hue, park rangers partially drained Morning Glory in the 1970s to extract debris.

— Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

The building’s owner previously told The Star the building would not be demolished and that it could be redeveloped.

— Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
The 18-year-old female elephant got loose from her handler outside her enclosure, then went on the run, demolishing the door of a saloon on North Avenue, smashing in the window of another and walking through the fence around a vacant lot.

— Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of demolish

Verb

When all out-of-court options have been exhausted, and the MCA debt threatens the immediate survival of an otherwise viable business, legal reorganization is the final angle of management.

— Nathan Mor, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Like athletes in other pro leagues, NFL players must first exhaust out-of-court arbitration and grievance procedures.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

The campaign that originally eradicated screwworm relied on what’s known as the sterile insect technique.

— Robert Kelly, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Stoett argues that if a market is used to encourage removal, the commercial activity should exist because the species needs to be reduced, contained, or eradicated—not because the goal is to establish a sustainable fishery for that species.

— Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of consume

verb

Example Sentences

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