as in food
substances intended to be eaten
there are some good eats at the buffet table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in consumes
to take in as food
having gone all day without food, we greedily ate the hamburgers
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in erodes
to consume or wear away gradually
the pot's protective coating was eaten away by the acid
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dines
to take a meal
where's the best place to eat in this town?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in annoys
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
it really eats me the way people go to national parks to enjoy nature—and then leave their litter behind
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 eats
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 8 May 2026
Newsom eats cake à la Marie Antoinette.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
And today the district, which is in charge of the lake’s restoration, regularly harvests thousands of pounds of gizzard shad, a bottom-feeding junk fish that stirs up and eats nutrients on the lake floor.
—Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
Every time Forrest eats, his small intestine breaks down the resulting slurry of kibble into glucose and other compounds.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
Serenity is a high-concept fiasco, but what if Hathaway eats?
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Picture a warm breeze embracing you, pleasant conversations with family and friends, and delicious eats as you dine al fresco with this charming dining set.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2026
When a python eats a collared opossum, the tracking device keeps transmitting — from inside the snake.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
Mason only eats a very limited diet, probably about 12 things.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
The May new moon also provides a longer window for viewing the deep sky wonder compared to the June new moon, which occurs close to the summer solstice, when twilight eats further into the dark of night.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 8 May 2026
Newsom eats cake à la Marie Antoinette.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
And today the district, which is in charge of the lake’s restoration, regularly harvests thousands of pounds of gizzard shad, a bottom-feeding junk fish that stirs up and eats nutrients on the lake floor.
—Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
Every time Forrest eats, his small intestine breaks down the resulting slurry of kibble into glucose and other compounds.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
Serenity is a high-concept fiasco, but what if Hathaway eats?
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Picture a warm breeze embracing you, pleasant conversations with family and friends, and delicious eats as you dine al fresco with this charming dining set.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2026
When a python eats a collared opossum, the tracking device keeps transmitting — from inside the snake.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
Mason only eats a very limited diet, probably about 12 things.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eats
Verb
-
On average, a medium-sized data center consumes roughly 110 million gallons of water per year for cooling, which is enough to power the annual water use of about 1,000 households.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
-
According to some reports, globally, this consumes something like 1-2% of global energy consumption.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Inconsistent tone weakens the brand, while inaccurate content or misaligned personalization erodes customer trust and costs conversions.—
Georg Ell,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Democrats plan to push weekly war powers votes and military funding limits as Republican support erodes, partly driven by concerns about rising gas prices heading into November elections.—
Stephen Groves,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Every guest after the first 100 who dines in from Saturday through Monday can get a buy one, get one beef pepper rice.—
Zacharia Washington,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Complimentary valet is available for anyone who dines at Toro Toro before or after a screening.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Or when Reggie purposefully annoys Arthur by having his son, Carmelo (Jalyn Hall), practice with his a cappella group in Arthur’s editing suite, a move that demonstrates the increasingly teasing affection between Arthur and Reggie.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His popularity’s decline was shaped partly by race, partly by our deep but uneven revulsion toward scandal involving children, and partly by a media ecosystem that devours spectacle.—
Steven Gray,
Time,
29 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
But racist comments began to appear on social media feeds soon after FBI Director Kash Patel announced on X the case against Wang.—
Alicia Victoria Lozano,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
-
This experience now feeds directly into production, with a focus on integrating audience awareness and positioning from the earliest stages of a project’s development, Romeo specified.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
And if someone bothers Anaia, Racine is there to fight for her.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
An unconventional structure or new approach bothers them not a whit.—
Mac Barnett,
Longreads,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
The impish half-smile that irritates opponents eventually returns to his face, though.—
Chris Smith,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
-
Daisy is caught so off guard that her first reaction is to laugh, which irritates Ben.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Eats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eats. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
