ate

[ayt, 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

I traveled, ate and drank, and I met kindred souls I felt I’d known for lifetimes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Last quarter, the cost of unhedged jet fuel doubled, contributing to a jump in operating expenses that ate into the group’s profit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

Inflation obviously ate into some of those gains.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 1, 2026

"Lots of people planted vegetable gardens. We ate whatever was available. Well, thank God, we're here now," the 29-year-old added.

From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026

But I was also starving, and I watched hungrily as Frederick and Bruno tore through my satchel and ate all the food I had packed.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

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