ate

[eyt, et] / eɪt, ɛt /

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consume food v.
erode, wear away; use up v.

VERB

consume food

Synonyms

STRONGEST

attack bite chew devour dine feed ingest inhale nibble pick swallow

STRONG

absorb banquet bolt breakfast cram digest dispatch gorge gormandize graze lunch masticate munch nosh ruminate scarf scoff snack sup wolf

WEAK

break bread chow down dispose of fall to feast upon gobble up have a bite have a meal have for make pig of oneself partake of peck at pig out polish off pork out put away take food take in take nourishment

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abstain

STRONG

misunderstand open

WEAK

build maintain preserve

VERB

erode, wear away; use up

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bite drain nibble

STRONG

condense corrode crumble decay decompose disappear disintegrate dissipate dissolve exhaust gnaw liquefy melt rot rust spill squander vanish

WEAK

run through waste away

Antonyms

STRONG

appear arrive build coagulate combine develop flourish grow hoard improve put together save solidify unite

WEAK

maintain preserve

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

ate

Every six months, participants recorded everything they ate and drank during a three-day period.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

Pinko Liu, a 30-year-old from Zhejiang province on China’s east coast, said that for two years she ate up to a pound of blueberries every day.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Eubank slapped Benn with an egg; Garcia ate one at Thursday's news conference.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

One later recalled, “Nothing we newsmen ate that day led us to foresee that soybeans were destined a few years later to become an ingredient in many popular food products, some of them delicious.”

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

Not only had his mom eaten it before, Grandma had said that the Diné ancestors ate tóshchíín for strength to endure tough trials.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith