chew

verb \ ˈchü \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of chew

transitive verb

1 : to crush, grind, or gnaw (something, such as food) with or as if with the teeth : masticate

2 : to injure, destroy, or consume as if by chewing —usually used with up

chewing up profits

intransitive verb

: to chew something; specifically : to chew tobacco

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chewable

play \-ə-bəl\ adjective

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chewer

noun

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chewy

play \ˈchü-ē\ adjective

— chew on

: to think about : ponder

chewing on the new developments

— chew the fat or less commonly chew the rag

: to make friendly familiar conversation : chat

See chew defined for English-language learners

See chew defined for kids

Examples of chew in a Sentence

We were taught to chew our food thoroughly before swallowing.
He chews with his mouth open.
You're not allowed to chew gum in class.
A mouse chewed through the cord.
The dog chewed a hole in the rug.

Recent Examples of chew from the Web

Some cameras couldn’t pan and hold steady, while insects chewed through components.

— lauren etter, Bloomberg.com, "America’s Virtual Border Wall Is a 1,954-Mile-Long Money Pit," 9 Apr. 2018
The man dug into the ground, pulled out a thick worm, popped it into his mouth, chewed and swallowed, then invited Shear to do the same.

— brian albrecht, cleveland.com, "Holocaust survivor returning to Auschwitz with memories (photos, video)," 7 Apr. 2018
Horizontal drilling involves the use of a steerable drill bit that chews its way through the earth, aided by drilling fluid that carries back the rock cuttings from the drill bit.

— andrew maykuth, Philly.com, "How Sunoco's drilling methods may be causing Mariner East 2's problems," 7 Apr. 2018
Jameson posing while pregnant Jameson’s daughter Batel Lu The former adult film star capped off her tribute with a photo of her daughter smiling at the camera while chewing on floral sunglasses and wearing a headband.

— alexia fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Jenna Jameson Shares Nude Throwback Pregnancy Photo in Honor of Her Daughter's Birthday," 6 Apr. 2018
Daniels and crew have until Thursday morning to chew it over.

— jeff wilson, star-telegram, "Rangers Reaction: Hamels piles up the strikeouts ... and his pitch count | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 4 Apr. 2018
Polar bears, according to Chris' compendium of tru facs (patent pending), are most famous for being the animal least-likely to express regret after accidentally chewing off your left foot.

— chris lee, Ars Technica, "Porous silk fiber traps heat, hides a rabbit from IR camera," 4 Apr. 2018
However, if a person’s reaction to sounds like yawning and chewing is severe, the culprit might be misophonia, a disorder also known as selective sound sensitivity syndrome.

— Southern Living, "The Scientific Reason You Cannot Stand the Sound of Chewing," 27 Mar. 2018
The sisters traveled regularly to Jamaica and India, and Harris can recall sitting on the porch of her grandmother’s house in Jamaica for hours, chewing on sugarcane and listening to her father and uncles talk politics.

— zoe ghertner, Vogue, "Kamala Harris Is Dreaming Big," 19 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chew.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.