INHALE Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

inhale

verb

in-ˈhāl

Definition of inhale

as in to devour

to swallow or eat greedily inhaled the doughnuts so quickly that you would have missed it if you blinked

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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 inhale Ignore Safety Protocols Particular cleaning products can exude strong smells or fumes that aren’t meant to be inhaled and which can be harmful to your lungs and skin. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 20 Aug. 2026 One of the men inhaled water, and died at the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026 Rymer, meanwhile, inhaled toxic smoke from the chemical explosion that left him with severe adult-onset asthma. — Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026 People are thought to get infected by inhaling the amoeba from windblown dust or by getting contaminated soil or water in a wound. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inhale

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhale

Verb

The larvae come from the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly, which invades open wounds or the mucous membranes of body openings in any warm-blooded animal, including humans, and devours tissue, causing the wounds to become increasingly deep and painful.

— Abraham Tellez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
The Milky Way has something of a torrid and violent history, given that our galaxy has fueled its own growth by cannibalistically devouring smaller galaxies.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of devour

Verb

Christa says the biggest mistake travelers make on short layovers is trying to cram too much into the available time.

— Jill Robbins, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2026
Most of the attendees crammed along the fences, craning their necks and holding their phones aloft on their tiptoes.

— Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of cram

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inhabits

inhale

inhaled

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“Inhale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inhale. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of inhale

verb

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