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
Oklahoma: The Sooners showed they could run the ball and chew up the clock if necessary.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 15, 2022
“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
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.
