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

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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 Readers and critics devoured the book (no pun intended), but their responses often worry Brooks. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026 Any food or flesh that crossed their paths was quickly devoured. — Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026 Much of the backlash stems from the resources such projects devour. — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 4 Sep. 2026 Crabs tore through fishing nets, devoured mollusks at an alarming rate and edged out the native green crab, a local soft-shell specialty. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for devour

Recent Examples of Synonyms for devour

Verb

That means an e-reader can display a page for hours while consuming essentially no display power between updates.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
According to a new report on eating patterns in America by market research company Circana, nearly half of US adults are actively trying to consume more protein, from bars to whey powder to chicken breasts night after night.

— Emily Laurence Sardinha, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of consume

Verb

And 84% of fans who track players, pundits or creators spent on sport last year, compared with 43% of those who track none.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Davis and Young combined for 31 points in 17 minutes largely, if not entirely, spent on the floor together.

— Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

Delphi sits above a geologic vent, an X from which noxious gases escaped the earth, corrupting the minds of women who inhaled and pronounced their prophecies.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
The chemical is highly corrosive, toxic when inhaled or touched, and flammable under specific concentrations.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of inhale

Verb

Shawn and his father found the man on the easternmost coast of their island shortly after dusk, when the sky was drained of almost all its orange light and the waves had grown dark, topped with an eerie froth.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
The road Game 3 win reigns supreme in Liberty lore after Sabrina Ionescu drained a 28-foot game-winning dagger.

— Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

The customer gulps it down in a single stretch and drops it into a bin – visible proof of his relief, at least for this moment, from the sweltering heat.

— Light Oriye Tamunotonye, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2026
Rather than trying to gulp the slimy thing down, Wilkinson went into the kitchen and prepared an extravagant breakfast for himself, complete with Dr Pepper to wash it down.

— Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 12 June 2026

Definition of gulp

Verb

Unsurprisingly, Chinese researchers have predicted that the main urban pension fund covering some 500 million urban workers, retirees, and cadres will be exhausted by the mid-2030s.

— Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
In June, the NCAA ruled the class of 2022 had exhausted their eligibility.

— PJ Green October 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

But as stock prices climb and bond yields increase, that relative advantage is diminishing, leaving less room for equities to absorb higher rates.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Not only have household budgets spent the last several years absorbing higher prices, but today's high rates mean that credit card balances and other monthly obligations are likely claiming a larger share of each paycheck, too.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 7 Oct. 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 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of devour

verb

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