DEVOUR Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

devour

verb

di-ˈvau̇(-ə)r

Definition of devour

as in to consume

to destroy all trace of a series of devastating storms devoured the beach on the south side of the island

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to spend

to make complete use of a catastrophic medical event that devoured their savings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to inhale

to swallow or eat greedily the starving villagers simply devoured the relief food

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 devour The larvae come from the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly, which invades open wounds or the mucous membranes of body openings in any warm-blooded animal, including humans, and devours tissue, causing the wounds to become increasingly deep and painful. — Abraham Tellez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 The Milky Way has something of a torrid and violent history, given that our galaxy has fueled its own growth by cannibalistically devouring smaller galaxies. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Observers were treated to the gruesome sight of ravens hacking open unattended eggs and devouring the contents. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026 Apparently tone-deaf to the escalating backlash over destructive book scanning, a logo on the door of that team’s warehouse, VGT3, showed a Tyrannosaurus rex preparing to devour a book, 404 Media documented. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for devour

Recent Examples of Synonyms for devour

Verb

This matters because consistently consuming too much sodium can raise blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Overall, sugar alcohols can affect people differently, and their digestive effects also depend largely on the amount consumed.

— Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of consume

Verb

According to public-records research by FOIAball, Rutgers spent $191,220 on fireworks and drone shows during the 2025 season.

— Manny Navarro, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The jury spent a week deliberating in Plymouth Superior Court in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where supporters and onlookers gathered outside for days awaiting a possible verdict.

— James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

As a young man, Francisco traversed it on horseback, eking out a living by draining resin from the towering pines.

— Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Management voluntarily closed the store until a three-compartment sink could be fixed to drain properly.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

Lucie, having exhausted all other possibilities, and needing Darnay in order to find her father, hires a very reluctant Carton, who in a trick worthy of Perry Mason, gets him off when a witness cannot tell him and Darnay apart.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Last month, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN that the US military had exhausted nearly 80% of its interceptors for a key missile defense system.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

Still, every spare inch is crammed with more than 32 different kinds of orchids imported from around the world, including such beauties as the flame-like Epidendrum radicans and the rare Dimorphorchis lowii.

— Leigh-Ann Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Aliens land in Johannesburg in 1982 seeking refuge, but instead they're crammed into an internment camp called District 9.

— Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of cram

Verb

Agricultural production technologies and weather forecasting capabilities have also improved substantially, all of which could help the market absorb part of the supply shocks.

— , CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Margot has been absorbed with a new idea she’s discovered in her work and has even reached out to a scholar at NASA to discuss it.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of absorb

Browse Nearby Words

devotions

devour

devoured

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Style

“Devour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devour. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of devour

verb

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