chew (someone) up and spit (him or her) out

idiom

: to defeat (someone) badly
That district attorney will chew you up and spit you out in the courtroom.

Examples of chew (someone) up and spit (him or her) out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
As played, respectively, by Stephen Graham and Kathy Burke — two of Britain’s very best character actors, even if Burke rarely works onscreen these days — the pair chew up and spit out the scenery with relish. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 On either side, shifting sandbars waited to chew up and spit out wayward traders, nationality be damned. Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024

Dictionary Entries Near chew (someone) up and spit (him or her) out

chew over

chew (someone) up and spit (him or her) out

chewstick

Cite this Entry

“Chew (someone) up and spit (him or her) out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chew%20%28someone%29%20up%20and%20spit%20%28him%20or%20her%29%20out. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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