chew

verb

\ ˈchü

chewed; chewing; chews

Definition of chew

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

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

chew

noun

Definition of chew (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act of chewing

2 : something for chewing

Other Words from chew Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about chew

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Other Words from chew

Verb

chewable \ ˈchü-ə-bəl

\ adjective

chewer noun

chewy \ ˈchü-ē

\ adjective

Examples of chew in a Sentence

Verb

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 on the Web: Verb

Coastal Louisiana is on the front lines of a battle against land loss common to river deltas around the world, from the Nile to the Mekong, where extreme weather and rising sea levels are chewing away at coastal lands. — Nate Berg, Curbed, "Can engineering save Louisiana’s coastline?," 7 Nov. 2018 Just more World Cup intrigue to chew on along with the matches. — Ann Killion, SFChronicle.com, "Casting a wary eye toward World Cup host Russia," 6 July 2018 One of the loudest reactions to those who have already seen this entertaining series is the love for Garrett, and specifically his gum-chewing, hand-clapping, Coach McCoachy Coach talk, to the F-bombing of the scout team. — Mac Engel, star-telegram, "F-bombs aplenty, Cowboys documentary shows again how Garrett plays the part of coach | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 21 Apr. 2018 Some were rose-and-gold-colored, some were beaver-chewed. — Author: Christine Cunningham, Anchorage Daily News, "As luck would have it, ‘solace’ yields fresh arctic char," 28 Mar. 2018 Even after being chewed up, swallowed, partially digested in Ötzi’s stomach, and then frozen in a glacier for 5,300 years, some bits of Ötzi’s last meal are still recognizable, at least under a microscope. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Ötzi the Iceman’s last meal shows how Copper Age people ate on the run," 13 July 2018 These coarse, highly textured types of fiber can remain surprisingly intact even after chewing, which leaves quite a job for the digestive system organs to break down into passable particle sizes. — SELF, "Why This Registered Dietitian Tells (Some of) Her Patients to Avoid Kale Salads," 30 Nov. 2018 Veronica Mars' fans could probably chew your ear off about how long this revival has been in the works, especially since the 2014 film—which at that time served as a revival—received a decisive reaction upon its release. — D. Elizabeth, Glamour, "Veronica Mars Is So Close to Getting Rebooted at Hulu—With Kristen Bell," 22 Aug. 2018 As most notable movements of birds and mammals occur during early and late hours, wildlife viewing doesn’t chew into a significant portion of a three-day adventure. — Peter Reese, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Way To Spend 72 Hours at Jackson Hole," 31 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

With wonderful, affordable wines and classic cocktails to go alongside perfect chew-to-crust ratio pies, this takes a great dinner and movie night up a level further. — Krista Simmons, Condé Nast Traveler, "35 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles," 27 Feb. 2018 Problem #4: His training pad has basically become a chew toy. — Good Housekeeping, "4 Smart Fixes for Your Biggest Puppy Potty Training Problems," 22 Mar. 2016 The chews grew quickly in popularity and now make up about 84 percent of her business, Hoffman said. — Heidi Groover, The Seattle Times, "Washington to ‘reevaluate’ marijuana edibles, crack down on products that might appeal to kids," 5 Oct. 2018 The meat has a noticeable chew that bothers fried chicken lovers used to more tender bird. — Liz Biro, Indianapolis Star, "Here are all the new fried chicken restaurants in Indianapolis," 6 July 2018 Keeping a steady supply of wood chews and Timothy Hay helps the teeth stay at a healthy length, without becoming overgrown. — sacbee, "At the SPCA: Cordelia," 27 June 2018 These have bite and bark, the exteriors satisfying to sink the teeth into, the meat the perfect compromise between tenderness and chew. — Devra First, BostonGlobe.com, "Why is one of Boston’s best new restaurants in Newton?," 30 Apr. 2018 Go with kids to appreciate the pleasures behind this simple combination of sweetness and chew. — OregonLive.com, "Hat Yai is the Southern star in Portland's Thai food constellation," 6 Apr. 2018 Instead, Bush’s win breathed new life into Walsh, who could be as single-minded as Millie was when biting into her chew toy. — Neil Swidey, BostonGlobe.com, "How Democrats would be better off if Bill Clinton had never been president," 10 July 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.