as in interesting
holding the attention or provoking interest
didn't find the plot of the novel particularly consuming
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in devouring
to destroy all trace of
massive fires had consumed hundreds of square miles of forest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spending
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
3
as in eating
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 consuming
Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 1 May 2026
Because truly, motherhood is so consuming.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
But that’s a less consuming point to Kelce now than ever before.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2025
But he’s never stopped hunting, perhaps the most consuming pastime of his life.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 8 May 2025
In the depths of the first movement, immediately before Tchaikovsky’s most consuming cry of desolation, the bassoons, basses and timpani hold a low F sharp, for just a beat and a half.
—David Allen, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2022
By mid-August, that fear was no less consuming.
—Heidi Levine, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2022
The hero is Alice, wife to Jack, who finds a job in the all-consuming but rather mysterious Victory Project.
—James Medd, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2022
Ratajkowski frames the development of her political consciousness as a process born of self-consciousness, a cancerous and consuming view of the self that the writer argues was pushed on her by patriarchal capitalist society.
—Jordan Taliha McDonald, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2021
Mark Conway, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026
Matters involving architectural reviews and approvals can become particularly contentious and time consuming for homeowner associations, especially in large communities.
—Nicole R. Kurtz, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
Within minutes, fires leapt from kitchen to kitchen across the dense wooden architecture, consuming everything.
—Big Think, 7 May 2026
Clemente first denied drinking but later admitted to consuming alcohol.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
Results of a two-week, in-home consumer study featuring 83 participants indicated that 76 percent felt less cramping after eating dairy, and more than 85 percent felt little to no discomfort two to four hours after consuming dairy.
—Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 6 May 2026
At the core of it all is the great, consuming experiment of identity formation.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
According to the organization, Black Americans are arrested for violations of marijuana possession laws at four times the rate of White Americans despite both groups consuming marijuana at roughly the same rates.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 6 May 2026
One puppy later vomited up a bone, a stark indication of what little the animals had been consuming to survive.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Adjective
The cramps that felt sharper, deeper, more consuming than what friends described.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 1 May 2026
Because truly, motherhood is so consuming.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
But that’s a less consuming point to Kelce now than ever before.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2025
But he’s never stopped hunting, perhaps the most consuming pastime of his life.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 8 May 2025
In the depths of the first movement, immediately before Tchaikovsky’s most consuming cry of desolation, the bassoons, basses and timpani hold a low F sharp, for just a beat and a half.
—David Allen, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2022
By mid-August, that fear was no less consuming.
—Heidi Levine, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2022
The hero is Alice, wife to Jack, who finds a job in the all-consuming but rather mysterious Victory Project.
—James Medd, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2022
Ratajkowski frames the development of her political consciousness as a process born of self-consciousness, a cancerous and consuming view of the self that the writer argues was pushed on her by patriarchal capitalist society.
—Jordan Taliha McDonald, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2021
Verb
King warned that the war would devour Johnson’s ambition for a Great Society, consuming the resources meant to relieve poverty here at home.
—Mark Conway, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026
Matters involving architectural reviews and approvals can become particularly contentious and time consuming for homeowner associations, especially in large communities.
—Nicole R. Kurtz, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
Within minutes, fires leapt from kitchen to kitchen across the dense wooden architecture, consuming everything.
—Big Think, 7 May 2026
Clemente first denied drinking but later admitted to consuming alcohol.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
Results of a two-week, in-home consumer study featuring 83 participants indicated that 76 percent felt less cramping after eating dairy, and more than 85 percent felt little to no discomfort two to four hours after consuming dairy.
—Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 6 May 2026
At the core of it all is the great, consuming experiment of identity formation.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
According to the organization, Black Americans are arrested for violations of marijuana possession laws at four times the rate of White Americans despite both groups consuming marijuana at roughly the same rates.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 6 May 2026
One puppy later vomited up a bone, a stark indication of what little the animals had been consuming to survive.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consuming
Adjective
-
From there, both fighters were trading blows, but the fifth round was when Strickland had an interesting moment with Chimaev.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
Welcome to Taste Test, where every week our critic Jonah Flicker explores the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Picture him in his threadbare suit, nervously smoking his Tecla cigarettes, his eyes obliquely devouring everything, his notes on a small table that resembles a pulpit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
-
He’s been devouring the genre since, recommending new reads on his TikTok account.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
His lips were sunburned after spending three days leading a group down the Rio Grande.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Now the company seeks to expand on last year’s win by spending vast sums — putting up more than $70 million so far — on a California ballot measure campaign to cap attorney fees in car crash cases.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The only other people in the restaurant were two of Magyar’s aides and Miklós, his son, who sat at a nearby table eating burrata.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Some health experts note, however, that these forms may provide less fiber and fewer benefits than eating the whole vegetable.—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
In his free time, Sebastian also enjoys playing video games, which gives him a chance to relax and connect with others in a fun and engaging way.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
Friday’s episode felt more engaging because Bayless set the tone.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Succulents require a well-draining soil with a lightweight texture.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
12 May 2026
-
Plant in fast-draining potting soil, and give full sun and moderate water.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Martinez on Thursday did not discuss details of the plan but said the city was exhausting all its options while seeking more ways to cut costs.—
Abby Church,
Houston Chronicle,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In some ways, the Wolfpack were already destined for a reset, with veterans like Tre Holloman, Darrion Williams, Quadir Copeland and Ven-Allen Lubin all exhausting their eligibility.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As the lens follows Dua, often up close and from behind, this mode of expression proves alternately absorbing and alienating.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
Operator errors, including violations of safety protocols and the removal of most absorbing rods, also played a role.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Consuming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consuming. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
