1 C1 idiomatic informal
To eat food very quickly and eagerly, with little attention to manners or taste.
"He wolfed back his lunch in under two minutes and rushed back to work."
separable
wolf back
C1 informal separable transitive
To eat something very quickly and greedily.
In plain English
To eat food super fast, like a hungry wolf.
What does "wolf back" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To eat like a wolf, sending food 'back' (into the throat/stomach) — the 'back' suggests rapid ingestion.
Actually means
To eat food super fast, like a hungry wolf.
Usage tip
An uncommon variant of 'wolf down'. Occurs in some British and Irish regional speech. Learners should note that 'wolf down' is overwhelmingly more common and more widely understood. 'Wolf back' may cause confusion outside certain regions.
Words that pair with "wolf back"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
food meal sandwich dinner leftovers
How to conjugate "wolf back"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
wolf back
I/you/we/they
3rd person
wolfs back
he/she/it
Past simple
wolfed back
yesterday
Past participle
wolfed back
have + pp
-ing form
wolfing back
continuous
Hear "wolf back" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "wolf back" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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