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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inhaling
Thousands more firefighters, fire officers, EMTs and recovery workers are battling cancers, lung disease, heart conditions, digestive disorders and other chronic illnesses caused by inhaling Ground Zero toxins.
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CNN Money, 13 Dec. 2025
One of the trailer’s sharpest beats shows Charli screaming at Tim (Jamie Demetriou) in frustration while inhaling a cigarette.
—Riann Phillip, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2025
Some research suggests that inhaling the aroma of spearmint may effectively reduce nausea and vomiting related to certain conditions.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 11 Dec. 2025
As a precaution, avoid inhaling all powder products.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 11 Dec. 2025
Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, typically contracted by inhaling spores found in soil contaminated with bird or bat droppings.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Dec. 2025
Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling the Legionella bacteria in small droplets of water mixed in the air or contaminated water accidentally going into your lungs.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2025
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia — fear of long words (The longest word found in major English dictionaries is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, a 45-letter word describing a lung disease caused by inhaling fine silica dust.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
Essential oils can be used in various ways, such as inhaling them through a diffuser or applying a diluted solution to the skin.
—Emily Brown, Verywell Health, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhaling
Verb
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One room held a sculpture of a lion devouring an antelope.—
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The series is technically a prequel to 2017's It and 2019's It Chapter Two, which were adapted from Stephen King's 1986 epic novel about Derry, Maine, a small town being terrorized by an ancient, child-devouring evil that surfaces every 27 years.—
Verb
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The cayenne pepper lingers on the tongue for a full minute after gulping the shot down.—
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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.—
Verb
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More people and new developments are cramming into Florida’s last-remaining greenspace, Lindsey O’Donnell said.—
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Tens of thousands of residents are living with relatives, cramming into rental apartments or living in public buildings.—
Cite this Entry
“Inhaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inhaling. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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