chew up
Britishverb
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to damage or destroy (something) by or as by chewing or grinding
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slang (usually passive) to cause (a person) to be nervous or worried
he was all chewed up about the interview
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.
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
Scientists observed Rakus pluck and chew up leaves of a medicinal plant used by people throughout Southeast Asia to treat pain and inflammation.
From Seattle Times • May 2, 2024
Otherwise, the animal would also chew up the seed, and it couldn’t sprout.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
