1
as in consumed
to destroy all trace of
a series of devastating storms devoured the beach on the south side of the island
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spent
to make complete use of
a catastrophic medical event that devoured their savings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in inhaled
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 devoured
Born Carlos Ray Norris on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma, Norris devoured the movies of John Wayne growing up.
—
Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
The media devoured his story like a plate of fresh oysters.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
How Newport Beach came out on top The appreciation of existing properties and the migration of fleeing Angelenos — whether running from COVID-era masking policies and school shutdowns or the flames that devoured Pacific Palisades — helped Newport Beach gain several spots on the list.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
In every scene, Terry Malloy is being devoured by regret, torn apart about doing the right thing, and simmering with an existential anxiety that could blow at any second.
—Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
Partially cut plants will sag and wilt, while small seedlings can be devoured entirely.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
The sun is being devoured by energy-hungry microbes, called Astrophage, and the resulting cooling threatens to wipe out much of Earth’s population.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Some sob when prodded by a fork, others are straight up devoured.
—Joe Wilkins Published Mar 12, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026
Now a private chef whose social media posts are devoured by more than 1 million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok, Meehan grew up in Santa Cruz, California, in a home surrounded by wild blackberry bushes and a backyard peppered with peach trees and vegetable plots.
—Karla Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Mar. 2026
Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
The media devoured his story like a plate of fresh oysters.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
How Newport Beach came out on top The appreciation of existing properties and the migration of fleeing Angelenos — whether running from COVID-era masking policies and school shutdowns or the flames that devoured Pacific Palisades — helped Newport Beach gain several spots on the list.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
In every scene, Terry Malloy is being devoured by regret, torn apart about doing the right thing, and simmering with an existential anxiety that could blow at any second.
—Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
Partially cut plants will sag and wilt, while small seedlings can be devoured entirely.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
The sun is being devoured by energy-hungry microbes, called Astrophage, and the resulting cooling threatens to wipe out much of Earth’s population.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Some sob when prodded by a fork, others are straight up devoured.
—Joe Wilkins Published Mar 12, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026
Now a private chef whose social media posts are devoured by more than 1 million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok, Meehan grew up in Santa Cruz, California, in a home surrounded by wild blackberry bushes and a backyard peppered with peach trees and vegetable plots.
—Karla Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devoured
Verb
-
Follow live updates Now in its fourth week, the conflict has consumed the Middle East, pushed up the prices of energy and food and threatened the global economy with a far-reaching crisis.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
23 Mar. 2026
-
And don’t get consumed with thinking about the future.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In Yunnan, Hyland spent much of her time around Dali, a once-small mountain town that has cycled through various incarnations through the years.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
-
For much of the season’s first three months, the 30-year-old Dane spent time flanking Sebastian Aho on the top line or teamed up with second-year forwards Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake.—
Cory Lavalette,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Many people inhaled a substantial amount of smoke.—
Dave Boucher,
Freep.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Bebop moving in waves through the smoky air, causing a warm feeling to come over him, to move inside him like smoke inhaled.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Morehouse gives out $10 million in endowed scholarships every year, plus another $3 million to close the funding gap for students who have exhausted all other options.—
Jason Armesto,
AJC.com,
21 Mar. 2026
-
As investors, including Marc Andreessen, warn that AI companies are ‘running out’ of high‑quality human data and studies project that public web data for training could be exhausted within the next decade.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
With the dead and the wounded sprawled around them, the mocambos gulped the wine from the sacramental chalice.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
-
As studios gulped down profits, talent below and above the line began to demand adequate shares of the pie.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Houston drained seven threes in that decisive fourth-quarter run; a couple of them were tightly defended but Rockets shooters had too much airspace on others.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Maryland pulled within three in the final two minutes, but Nyla Brooks drained a 3-pointer from in front of the North Carolina bench.—
Bob Sutton,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The walls of that living room, crammed with books, were two stories high.—
Caleb Crain,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Paris — Anyone visiting Paris just over a decade ago would doubtless have been charmed by the city’s timeless attractions — brasseries serving delicious food, museums crammed with famous works of art, boulevards of chic stores — all overlooked by the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower.—
Lisa Courbebaisse,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And Rubio absorbed the Cuban exiles’ uncompromising stances.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Some consumers may be concerned that aluminum, when absorbed into the body, can affect estrogen receptors in breast cells.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devoured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devoured. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
