1
as in sipping
to swallow in liquid form
the doctor wants her to drink lots of water before the examination
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in boozing
to partake excessively of alcoholic beverages
we're worried that she's started drinking again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in absorbing
to take in (something liquid) through small openings
the hot surface of the porous rock drank water like a sponge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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 drinking
While for me, drinking coffee felt like a bad habit—there are proven health benefits when enjoying it in moderation.
—
Emma Bocchi, Vogue, 27 Dec. 2024
In 2018, researchers in Britain compared health outcomes among a group of people who agreed to stop drinking for a month with the health of a group that continued to consume alcohol.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 26 Dec. 2024
Hop in a car to wind down at the Parker Palm Springs’ Counter Reformation, an appealingly dark and moody bar with a confessional in the corner and a small, excellent list of wines in three sizes (all starting at $11), which allows for sampling, drinking or indulging.
—Freda Moon, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
The wealthier ones lounge by the sea in the evening, drinking coffee and dangling their feet in the Red Sea.
—Declan Walsh, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
What if the problem with eggnog is just that many of us are drinking the wrong kind?
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
In the early 1980s, five seniors died after drinking homemade eggnog at a New Jersey nursing home.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
So far, no human is known to have gotten sick with bird flu from drinking raw milk.
—Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 24 Dec. 2024
Without question, eating and drinking (sometimes in artful excess) is part and parcel of any visit to the Big Easy—but the city’s culture stretches far beyond beignets and Sazeracs, converting first-time visitors into lifelong devotees of its countless charms.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 24 Dec. 2024
Emma Bocchi, Vogue, 27 Dec. 2024
In 2018, researchers in Britain compared health outcomes among a group of people who agreed to stop drinking for a month with the health of a group that continued to consume alcohol.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 26 Dec. 2024
Hop in a car to wind down at the Parker Palm Springs’ Counter Reformation, an appealingly dark and moody bar with a confessional in the corner and a small, excellent list of wines in three sizes (all starting at $11), which allows for sampling, drinking or indulging.
—Freda Moon, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
The wealthier ones lounge by the sea in the evening, drinking coffee and dangling their feet in the Red Sea.
—Declan Walsh, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
What if the problem with eggnog is just that many of us are drinking the wrong kind?
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
In the early 1980s, five seniors died after drinking homemade eggnog at a New Jersey nursing home.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
So far, no human is known to have gotten sick with bird flu from drinking raw milk.
—Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 24 Dec. 2024
Without question, eating and drinking (sometimes in artful excess) is part and parcel of any visit to the Big Easy—but the city’s culture stretches far beyond beignets and Sazeracs, converting first-time visitors into lifelong devotees of its countless charms.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 24 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Drinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drinking. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share