# chew up

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/chew-up
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To ruin (especially land), by digging.

## Examples

- The heavy trucks chew up the grass in the park.
- The construction vehicles will chew up the garden if they drive across it today.
- The constant movement of heavy machinery began to chew up the landscape, leaving deep ruts across the once pristine meadow.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.