carve up
phr. v..phr. v.. to divide something into smaller parts, often in a way that seems unfair or aggressive.
phr. v.. to partition a territory, market, or resource into smaller segments, typically for the benefit of several competing parties.
The big companies want to carve up the market.
After the war, the winning nations met to carve up the region into new countries.
The predatory investors intended to carve up the struggling corporation, selling off its most valuable assets to the highest bidders while leaving the employees with nothing.
often used in political or business contexts to describe dividing power or land.
the metaphor comes from carving meat at a dinner table; it helps students visualize the 'slicing' of a whole into portions for different people.
They carved the cake up.They carved up the cake.while technically separable with physical objects, 'carve up' is almost always kept together when used in its figurative political or business sense.