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chew up

British  

verb

  1. to damage or destroy (something) by or as by chewing or grinding

  2. slang (usually passive) to cause (a person) to be nervous or worried

    he was all chewed up about the interview

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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:

AI providers are hiking prices and throttling usage amid real-capacity constraints, while “tokenmaxxing” is starting to chew up IT budgets, according to O’Regan.

From MarketWatch Apr. 18, 2026

“The yield issue is continuing to chew up the clock.”

From Barron's Apr. 17, 2026

Michael Pepper, who batted at number three, had struggled early on to hit the ball cleanly, while Brook was sat watching him chew up deliveries.

From BBC Aug. 15, 2025

Solar fields can chew up desert wildlife habitat.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 26, 2023

“I’m betting Dante’s going to encourage Legs to chew up all his shoes.”

From "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz

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