chew something ↔ up phrasal verb (see also chew)

1. to damage or destroy something by tearing it into small pieces:
Be careful if you use that video recorder. It tends to chew tapes up.

2. to bite something many times with your teeth so that you can make it smaller or softer and swallow it:
The dog’s chewed up my slippers again.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲