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 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 third might buy time but at the cost of leaving the market undersupplied with term credit, and with the fundamental fiscal problem still worsening as deficits compound and debt service consumes an ever-larger share of federal outlays.
    Daniel J. Arbess, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
  • For starters, figure skating no longer consumes her life, freeing Liu to enjoy the stage more than ever.
    Elliott Almond, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The new fee structure charges a $60 per hour rate, even if an inspector only spends a half-hour on the property.
    Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
  • New York City spends more money per capita than any other major city in the country, but there’s no way to save money.
    Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But freedom of expression is a constant pursuit, as natural as breathing, and silencing it is an imperfect practice that exhausts the oppressor and energizes the oppressed.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Gauff’s movement often exhausts her opponents.
    Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 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
  • Use a good quality potting mix that drains well in the container.
    Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Make sure to empty any excess water that drains into the saucer to keep the roots from getting soggy.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Verb
  • The steel frame included in the renovation absorbs impacts, and the bridge cover has remained largely unharmed.
    Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
  • For instance, it's sometimes used to bind to certain poisons before your body absorbs them.
    Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 6 Feb. 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 11 Feb. 2026.

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