devours

Definition of devoursnext
present tense third-person singular of devour
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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 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
  • Explaining how a system works consumes attention that customers cannot spare.
    Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Owing to this, cornstarch production also consumes vast amounts of water and relies heavily on the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Adamov, who sometimes spends long hours sheltering in the capsule, keeps a close eye on the devices from a short distance.
    Svitlana Vlasova, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
  • This playful and comprehensive biographical documentary from director David Alvarado spends time with a deserving trailblazer whose name and accomplishments perhaps aren’t engraved in the American consciousness, but should be.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The denial exhausts the city’s legal options for the 2022 ballot measure, known as Measure C.
    Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
  • Ella has shades of Holly Hunter's intense, workaholic producer Jane from Brooks' 1987 masterpiece Broadcast News, the smartest person in any room who both exhausts and enchants everyone around her.
    Esther Zuckerman, Time, 12 Dec. 2025
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
  • This structural and compounding loss heightened by sidelining Black women’s leaders drains institutions of current productivity and future leadership pipelines.
    Jallicia Jolly, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Fill the pot with loose, slightly acidic soil that drains quickly.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Television has always relied on big, gasp-inducing moments, but Murphy crams them in even at the expense of narrative cohesion.
    Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
  • The Nutribullet Ultra crams a 1200-watt motor into its rather slim casing; that’s double the wattage of the Nutribullet Pro blender that’s a step down.
    Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • To ensure your body fully absorbs antibiotics, take antibiotics at least two hours before or four to six hours after taking magnesium.
    Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Silicones help minimize the look of pores, squalane supports balanced hydration, and upsalite absorbs excess sweat and oil throughout the day for a natural matte finish.
    Lily Wohlner, Allure, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The mysterious Egg scoffs at Dunk’s rope belt but offers to be his squire.
    Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Fourie scoffs at the concern about African greys disappearing in the wild.
    Rene Ebersole, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Devours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devours. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

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