swallow up
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Related to swallow up: for the most part, wreak havoc
swallow up
1. To eat something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "swallow" and "up." Rich is a fine dinner guest—he just swallows up anything I put on the table! I highly doubt that my little dog swallowed a rabbit up.
2. To fully consume or envelope someone or something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "swallow" and "up." Can you believe that sinkhole swallowed up three cars?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
swallow someone or something up
1. Lit. to eat or gobble up someone or something. The fairy-tale wolf threatened to swallow the pig up in one bite. The wolf swallowed up the meat in one bite.
2. Fig. to engulf or contain something. The vast garage seemed to swallow the cars up. The huge sweater swallowed up the tiny child.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.