1
as in consumed
to take in as food
having gone all day without food, we greedily ate the hamburgers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in eroded
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 dined
to take a meal
where's the best place to eat in this town?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in annoyed
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
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Recent Examples of ate
On one day in late December, Eden barely ate all day.
—
Angela Andaloro, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
While neither is an effective big league pitcher at this point, those moves ate into the Yankees’ limited rotation depth.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
Some theologians argued that Adam and Eve, as well as all the animals in the Garden of Eden, ate only plants.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 4 Aug. 2025
Modest renovations accomplished that goal — the space pulses with history and nostalgia as old photos hint at how, decades ago, neighbors ate and drank shoulder to shoulder here.
—Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2025
In testing, 75% of users ate a greater variety of plants than before using the app.
—Nicki Sprinz, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Pigs and other animals brought to the island also ate dodo eggs.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
One study found that men who ate whole eggs immediately after resistance exercise experienced greater post-exercise muscle protein synthesis rates than men who consumed egg whites.
—Jillian Kubala, Rd, Health, 25 Feb. 2025
The Knicks had a good test in front of them and apparently just ate the Scantron instead of filling it out.
—Zach Harper, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ate
Verb
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Renner allegedly consumed a bottle of wine.—
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The organ is dropped on the floor and a dog in the waiting room, who'd accidentally consumed marijuana, snaps it up and runs away with it.—
Verb
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But police-reform advocates say the momentum for change after Floyd’s death has stalled — and in some cases reversed — as transparency by law-enforcement agencies across the Bay Area and the nation has steadily eroded.—
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Consumers have remained reluctant to spend amid an uncertain employment outlook and a prolonged property crisis that has eroded household wealth.—
Verb
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Jackie Gleason, Ed Sullivan, Connie Francis, Henny Youngman, Walter Matthau and Don Rickles were some of the performers who dined there.—
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The Terriers hung at the zoo for five hours, walked on Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach, dipped their toes in the sand and dined at a downtown San Diego restaurant.—
Verb
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Luis is frankly annoyed by this type of music.—
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Vulnerability is currency on reality television, and after a season of exposing their own struggles and embarrassments, the other women are annoyed that Meredith wants to keep up appearances.—
Verb
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But in the theatrical cut, Riley briefly survives the drop before being devoured by Tarion’s paw soldiers, the Hellhounds.—
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Angelo’s is the lunch stop and Strowman devoured ribs, brisket and more smoked meats, restaurant owner Jason George told the Star-Telegram.—
Verb
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Chris Kreider’s diagonal pass connected with Jackson LaCombe, who immediately fed the puck to an unmarked Poehling for an easy conversion.—
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By happenstance, the high risk report was released just as a scandal was erupting in Minnesota over widespread fraud in a program meant to keep children fed during the pandemic.—
Verb
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Hollywood CEOs aren’t getting hot and bothered about using AI to completely replace real-life movie stars; the guilds wouldn’t allow it, and audiences wouldn’t want it.—
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Burrow, who spoke with media after the Bengals lost 18-20 to the Cleveland Browns, seemed bothered by his 'do from the start, sitting down at the mic and instantly raking his lengthy bangs back with his hands.—
Verb
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Madsen, who has mostly feasted on Mountain West teams but not been sharp against better opponents, even talked this season about how people would come after his family, something that upset him.—
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The 30-year-old feasted on a Bengals defense that has struggled to defend tight ends all year.—
Cite this Entry
“Ate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ate. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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