1 C1 informal
To chew something thoroughly, especially noisily or with effort.
"The old mule chawed up the tough stalks of corn without any trouble."
separable
chaw up
C1 informal separable transitive
To chew something up; to chew noisily or thoroughly.
In plain English
To chew something into pieces or a mush.
What does "chaw up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To chaw (chew) something up into smaller pieces.
Actually means
To chew something into pieces or a mush.
Usage tip
Highly dialectal and archaic. 'Chaw' is an old or dialectal form of 'chew', surviving mainly in some American regional dialects (Southern US) and older British dialects. 'Chaw up' is therefore extremely rare. 'Chew up' is always the correct modern alternative.
Words that pair with "chaw up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
tobacco food grass wood
How to conjugate "chaw up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
chaw up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
chaws up
he/she/it
Past simple
chawed up
yesterday
Past participle
chawed up
have + pp
-ing form
chawing up
continuous
Hear "chaw up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "chaw up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "chaw up"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.