as in devouring
to swallow or eat greedily
inhaled the doughnuts so quickly that you would have missed it if you blinked
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Recent Examples of inhaling
Most sneezes are triggered by contact with infectious agents or after inhaling irritants, but the cause of photic sneezing is not fully understood.
—
Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025
To fill the void, Potato grabbed his dad's shirt and cuddled with it, inhaling the scent of his human.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Each of his patients—like everyone—is already inhaling, drinking, and eating microplastics just by living in the world.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
He was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, which is a type of pneumonia contracted by inhaling contaminated water vapor.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2025
Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley fever, is a fungal infection spread to humans by inhaling fungal spores from the air.
—Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Aug. 2025
When outdoor activities are necessary, wearing a mask can protect against inhaling fungal spores.
—Matthew Binnicker, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Legionnaires' disease is a type of serious pneumonia that’s contracted by inhaling mist that contains Legionella bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia and is caused by inhaling mist containing Legionella bacteria.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Aug. 2025
Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025
To fill the void, Potato grabbed his dad's shirt and cuddled with it, inhaling the scent of his human.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Each of his patients—like everyone—is already inhaling, drinking, and eating microplastics just by living in the world.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
He was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, which is a type of pneumonia contracted by inhaling contaminated water vapor.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2025
Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley fever, is a fungal infection spread to humans by inhaling fungal spores from the air.
—Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Aug. 2025
When outdoor activities are necessary, wearing a mask can protect against inhaling fungal spores.
—Matthew Binnicker, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Legionnaires' disease is a type of serious pneumonia that’s contracted by inhaling mist that contains Legionella bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia and is caused by inhaling mist containing Legionella bacteria.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhaling
Verb
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This is not New York City in the 1990s but the Santa Fe of today—specifically, devouring tortilla soup and chiles rellenos at Tomasita’s, shopping at Desert Moss Vintage, and admiring the artwork at GF Contemporary, in the town’s gallery district on Canyon Road.—
Ashley Baker,
Air Mail,
16 Aug. 2025
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Medellín notes that just one species along Mexico’s northern borders numbers up to 30 million individuals, collectively devouring about 300 tons of insects every night.—
Anna Tunkova,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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One night Icarius got all his friends together for a wine-tasting party that quickly got out of hand and turned into a wine-gulping party.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
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The pressure is always on the taker, the player standing, gulping, trying desperately not to unload their lunch onto the turf, preparing to do something theoretically simple — kick the ball into the net from 12 yards with only one opponent able to stop them.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While the airlines are undeniably cramming us all in regardless of our waist size, for passengers who truly don’t fit in a standard economy seat, policies like Southwest’s help not only them but their fellow travelers be safer and more comfortable onboard, and that’s a good thing.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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The Lift-Off is significantly more comfortable to sit on, and the cushions are quite wide, easily fitting both of us and one to two guests without cramming.—
Emily Hein,
Architectural Digest,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inhaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inhaling. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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