devours

Definition of devoursnext
present tense third-person singular of devour
1
2
3
as in inhales
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 devours From her experience, the grasshopper drawing attention in Arizona devours everything in its path, whereas the chapulín is tied to greener environments and specific crops, such as cornfields, alfalfa, and squash leaves. Nadia Cantú, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026 But May also routinely devours Tool, Nine Inch Nails, and jazz albums from Miles Davis. Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026 But in Washington, politics devours everything, even the sacred. Tara Palmeri, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026 Gratitude requires perspective, but perpetual outrage devours perspective. MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025 Without virtue, liberty collapses into chaos, and freedom devours itself. Carolyn McKinney, Boston Herald, 22 Sep. 2025 Every revolution devours its children. Sam Knight, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025 And Sacks, a PayPal Mafia member and veteran Silicon Valley investor, is just the sort of titan of industry this town routinely devours and humiliates — from Rex Tillerson to, well, Elon Musk. Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Even as the gyre devours the sun. Alaa Alqaisi august 13, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devours
Verb
  • The gifts will also be used to assess how the public consumes the content.
    Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
  • There's a lot of discussion on the Hill on this right now, and there's concern about high healthcare prices, which consumes nearly one in $5 spent in the United States.
    Dana Taylor, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Orion crew spends first day in space NASA's Orion spacecraft is pictured from one of the cameras mounted on its solar array wings on April 7.
    Mark Osborne, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
  • BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • If the search for a large outdoor planter exhausts you—just get a terra-cotta planter.
    Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 6 Apr. 2026
  • As the oil blockade quickly exhausts Cuba’s supply of fuel, triggering a series of lengthy, island-wide blackouts, many here are exhausted and are becoming increasingly vocal about their desire for fundamental changes in Cuba.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • What's more, while virtually all VTOLs being developed these days are electric, the Janus-1 is powered by a turboshaft engine that gulps n' burns diesel, kerosene or Jet A fuel.
    Ben Coxworth October 21, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There’s a queerness to Mantello’s vision, including a blurring of gender associations that begins with its leads and radiates throughout, that ultimately drains the drama of its potency.
    Naveen Kumar, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Make sure the water from dehumidifiers and air conditioners drains somewhere that easily dries up.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Director Allan Deberton crams much story and characterization in those opening frames.
    Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Instead, the show crams everything into a space that can't hold it, culminating in this past third season that exploded with too much of practically everything.
    Matthew Razak, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Worse, when half the world shields consumers from higher energy prices, the remaining half absorbs all the demand adjustment.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
  • The hydrocolloid keeps the blister contained in a wet environment and also releases an active gel that absorbs fluid from the blister—all while keeping the wound cushioned from further harm.
    Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • When Dunk proposes to Prince Maekar that maybe the Seven spared him for some future purpose, Maekar scoffs.
    Noel Murray, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
  • The mysterious Egg scoffs at Dunk’s rope belt but offers to be his squire.
    Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Devours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devours. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on devours

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster