Phrasal verb
chew over
Definition
phr.v. to think about an idea or a problem for a long time before you decide what to do.
phr.v. to ponder or deliberate over a matter; to reflect on something at length before reaching a conclusion.
Examples
“I need some time to chew over your offer.”
“The committee spent the entire afternoon chewing over the new budget proposal before voting.”
“While the board members chewed over the implications of the merger, the CEO prepared a secondary strategy to address potential regulatory hurdles.”
Examples
simple
“I need some time to chew over your offer.”
contextual
“The committee spent the entire afternoon chewing over the new budget proposal before voting.”
complex
“While the board members chewed over the implications of the merger, the CEO prepared a secondary strategy to address potential regulatory hurdles.”
Usage
This phrasal verb is transitive and can be separated by the object, though it is more commonly kept together.
Teaching tip
anchor this to the physical metaphor of chewing food slowly to digest it; this helps students remember that the process is slow and thorough.
While 'chew' is a physical action, this phrasal verb is almost always used figuratively for mental processing.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Phrasal verb
Particles
over
Separability
optional
Pattern
chew + (object) + over
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related words
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/chew-over