chew on
The phrase "chew on" can be used both literally, to describe the act of biting or gnawing, and figuratively, to describe the act of thinking deeply about something.
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Definition
A2Everyday Life
(literal)To bite or gnaw on something repeatedly.
Example
- The puppy loves to chew on his new toy.
- She gave the baby a teething ring to chew on.
B2Conversation
(idiomatic)To think about something carefully and for a long time.
Example
- I need some time to chew on your proposal.
- He spent the weekend chewing on the idea of changing careers.
B2Argument
(colloquial)To challenge someone or emphasize a point in a confrontational manner.
Example
- Chew on that, and tell me if you still think I'm wrong.
- He told his critics to chew on his success.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "chew on":
chew upchew overchew offchomp down onchew the cudbite offtake a bite out oftake a bitebite inbite downsink one's teeth intochewing tobaccoeat upbite one's nailspeck atbite backthink abouteat it