eat something up

eat something up†

1. and eat an animal up† Lit. to devour all of some food or an animal. •

They ate the turkey up, and no one had to eat leftovers.

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The lion ate up the zebra very quickly.

2. Fig. to consume something rapidly, such as money. •

Running this household eats my income up.

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The car really eats up gas.

3. Fig. to believe something. •

Those people really eat that stuff up about tax reduction.

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They'll eat up almost anything you tell them.

4. Fig. to appreciate something. •

The audience liked my singing; they really ate it up.

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The stuff about the federal budget went over well. They really ate up the whole story.