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

The chips are power-hungry (a ChatGPT AI query consumes about ten times as much energy as a normal Google search) and also generate a lot of heat, which requires cooling systems.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 27 Sep. 2026
Maneuvering consumes energy, and atmospheric flight produces substantial heating and drag.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of consume

Verb

Minnesota Secretary of State Scott Simon, a Democrat, said in August that his office expects to spend roughly $250,000 on private vendors to conduct penetration testing, which can expose security vulnerabilities and recommend actionable fixes.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
As part of the arrangement, the elder Ryan agreed to cover the lion’s share of the differences in building a new stadium, originally priced at $830 million, from the $300 million the university planned to spend on renovating the older one.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

In effect, thousands of tons of materials that were never intended to be inhaled were crushed, burned, aerosolized and deposited across a densely populated urban area.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
Messick emerged from the dugout tunnel Monday afternoon in a hoodie with cutoff sleeves, inhaled and reveled in the crisp air that tends to accompany a playoff race.

— Zack Meisel, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of inhale

Verb

Excessive Wet Plants that are receiving excessive moisture or are not draining properly can also exhibit signs of decline, the plant expert offers.

— Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026
Use fast-draining potting mix so the roots are not exposed to soggy soil for long periods of time.

— Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 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

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

Instead of squashing a volume into an area, these universes seem to cram all the dimensions into a lone quantum point.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026
However, without the expansive 20-plus-episode seasons that were standard when the first series aired, storylines that would typically unfold over several episodes, or a season, are crammed into just 10 30-minute episodes.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of cram

Verb

And in a single season, a high school or college football player absorbs an estimated 600 to 1,000 subconcussive blows.

— Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
Now as a single patron, Saudi Arabia is trying to absorb under its command and funding structure the factions that spent years operating with other loyalties.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of absorb

Browse Nearby Words

devotions

devour

devoured

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Devour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devour. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of devour

verb

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