scarf up
B1 informal separable transitive
In simple words
To eat something really fast, or to take something quickly before it's gone.
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
informal
To eat food quickly and greedily.
"The kids scarfed up all the cookies before their parents came home."
Grammar: separable
2 B2
idiomatic
informal
To take or acquire something eagerly, often before others can get it.
"Shoppers scarfed up all the discounted items within the first hour of the sale."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Chiefly American English. 'Scarf up' and 'scarf down' overlap heavily in meaning. 'Scarf up' has a slight additional sense of acquiring something eagerly, not just eating. Very informal and conversational.
Commonly used with
food snacks bargains tickets leftovers samples
Forms
Base
scarf up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
scarfs up
he/she/it
Past simple
scarfed up
yesterday
Past participle
scarfed up
have + pp
-ing form
scarfing up
continuous
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