carve up
Britishverb
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to cut (something) into pieces
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to divide or dismember (a country, land, etc)
noun
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informal an act or instance of dishonestly prearranging the result of a competition
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slang the distribution of something, as of booty
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.
While the season showcased Simpson’s ability to carve up defenses, there was widespread hesitation about using a premium pick on him because of his lack of experience.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Division II programs tend to carve up their 36 scholarships for multiple players.
From Seattle Times • May 28, 2024
As they spit out vast amounts of radiation, they carve up their environment much like, well, a chicken.
From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2023
And then, after slavery finally was abolished - the slave trade - European colonial powers looked at a big empty map of Africa and carved it up like you carve up a pizza pie.
From Salon • Jul. 28, 2023
Supreme Court ordered Duke to carve up his tobacco octopus, but the resourceful businessman had already diversified into textiles and electric power generation.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
