as in eating
to crush or grind with the teeth
please chew your food thoroughly so you don't choke
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Recent Examples of chewing
Practical advice for managing rose garden pests This season, rose gardeners in San Diego are encountering both sucking and chewing pests.
—
Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Some have gone further, publicly chewing khat on the campaign trail, a gesture that signals solidarity and which has become something of a ritual in Kenyan electoral cycles, with aspiring leaders competing to demonstrate the sincerity of their commitment to khat farmers and traders.
—Joseph Maina, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Methods for maximizing looks range from workouts and skin-care routines to more radical options, such as chewing hard gum for hours to get a squarer jaw.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
But other times, the answer lies in the quiet changes that can occur in chewing and swallowing as people age.
—Sundeep Venkatesan, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026
For example, accurate calorie counts are particularly difficult to calculate for plant foods, which have cell walls that can be heard for teeth to break through, since chewing is the first phase of digestion, Moyer said.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 22 Mar. 2026
There was more intrigue at the annual UTA, Curtis Brown And C&W at the Bo Tree Hotel’s swish Lavo, where new Channel 4 boss Priya Dogra was spotted chewing the fat with UTA top brass, including Curtis Brown CEO Jonny Geller.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
Many insects have specialized mouthparts for sucking plant juices or chewing leaves.
—Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 12 Mar. 2026
The unidentified man backed away from Martin, still chewing the cigarette, and waved to the camera before the broadcast cut away.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2026
Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Some have gone further, publicly chewing khat on the campaign trail, a gesture that signals solidarity and which has become something of a ritual in Kenyan electoral cycles, with aspiring leaders competing to demonstrate the sincerity of their commitment to khat farmers and traders.
—Joseph Maina, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Methods for maximizing looks range from workouts and skin-care routines to more radical options, such as chewing hard gum for hours to get a squarer jaw.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
But other times, the answer lies in the quiet changes that can occur in chewing and swallowing as people age.
—Sundeep Venkatesan, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026
For example, accurate calorie counts are particularly difficult to calculate for plant foods, which have cell walls that can be heard for teeth to break through, since chewing is the first phase of digestion, Moyer said.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 22 Mar. 2026
There was more intrigue at the annual UTA, Curtis Brown And C&W at the Bo Tree Hotel’s swish Lavo, where new Channel 4 boss Priya Dogra was spotted chewing the fat with UTA top brass, including Curtis Brown CEO Jonny Geller.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
Many insects have specialized mouthparts for sucking plant juices or chewing leaves.
—Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 12 Mar. 2026
The unidentified man backed away from Martin, still chewing the cigarette, and waved to the camera before the broadcast cut away.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chewing
Verb
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Someone with an egg allergy eating the rolls could suffer anything from discomfort to death, depending on the severity of the allergy.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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One of them was mechanically eating a packet of pretzels.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In October 2025, a TikTok user posted a video of a gray squirrel nibbling on the mouth end of a vape device in Philadelphia.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
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Their livestock wander about us, enormous antlers swinging, hooves clicking — the sound helps them to find each other in a blizzard — and occasionally nibbling lichen from Aatsinki’s outstretched hand.—
Liam Denning,
Bloomberg,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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True to the hotel’s philosophy of repose and rest, the basket invites you to linger longer in your rooms, with enough to keep munching on through the morning.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
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Discoveries are a critical part of the rehearsal process, highly encouraged by director Jeffrey Lo, munching on a Girl Scout cookie while observing rehearsal.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Using smokeless nicotine products only affects the person consuming them; no one else.—
Bautista Vivanco,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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Pacific Islanders have a long history of consuming shellfish, as explained in a recent study published in Geoarchaeology.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chewing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chewing. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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