chew up: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal
Quick answer
What does “chew up” mean?
To grind or crush something with the teeth.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To grind or crush something with the teeth; to destroy or damage something by biting or gnawing.
To damage, ruin, or render something unusable, often through rough handling, heavy use, or metaphorical 'consumption'; to censure or reprimand someone severely (chew someone up).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. The literal sense (e.g., a dog chewing up a shoe) is equally common in both. The figurative sense of machinery 'chewing up' paper or film is also shared.
Connotations
The phrase 'chew someone up (and spit them out)' for harsh criticism is slightly more prevalent in British media, though used in both varieties.
Frequency
Common in both dialects, with very similar frequency.
Grammar
How to Use “chew up” in a Sentence
[Subject] chew up [Object]get chewed up (passive)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “chew up” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The puppy has chewed up the leg of the antique chair.
- Be careful, that shredder will chew up your credit card.
American English
- The puppy chewed up my new sneakers.
- Don't put that in the woodchipper; it'll get chewed up.
adverb
British English
- N/A
- N/A
American English
- N/A
- N/A
adjective
British English
- The chew-up toy was beyond repair.
- N/A
American English
- N/A
- N/A
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
"The faulty printer chewed up the confidential report."
Academic
"The new theory was quickly chewed up by peer reviewers."
Everyday
"My new puppy chewed up my favourite slippers."
Technical
"The turbine blades can get chewed up by foreign object debris."
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “chew up”
- Incorrect: *'The dog chewed up on the bone.' (Remove 'on').
- Incorrect: Using it for emotional eating: *'I was stressed, so I chewed up a pizza.' (Use 'ate' or 'chowed down on').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Chew up' means to damage or destroy something (literally or figuratively). 'Chew out' is an idiom meaning to scold or reprimand someone severely.
Yes, but usually figuratively. 'The intense pressure of the job chewed him up' means it emotionally or physically exhausted/destroyed him. 'Chew someone up (and spit them out)' implies harsh treatment that leaves them damaged.
Yes, it's a separable phrasal verb. You can say 'The dog chewed the slipper up' or 'The dog chewed up the slipper.'
It is primarily informal. In formal writing, synonyms like 'destroy', 'damage', 'shred', or 'masticate' (for the literal sense) are preferred.
To grind or crush something with the teeth.
Chew up: in British English it is pronounced /ˌtʃuː ˈʌp/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌtʃu ˈʌp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “chew someone up and spit them out”
- “chew up the scenery (overact)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CHEWING puppy UP on the sofa, destroying it. CHEW + UP = damage from below (chewing) moving upwards (up).
Conceptual Metaphor
DESTRUCTION IS CONSUMPTION (the machine consumed the paper); CRITICISM IS MASTICATION (the boss chewed him up).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'chew up' used figuratively?