English · Phrasal verb Attested

swallow up

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To completely enclose or envelop.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bao phủ hoàn toàn hoặc bao quanh

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Actually the job was almost the despair of those early pioneers, for the surface was a "quaking morass," the surrounding district was undrained, and no sooner than soil was deposited than it was swallowed up, with no apparent effect, for the sponginess of the land remained unaltered.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To take over or absorb something (especially an organisation) so it no longer has a separate identity; to assimilate.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Ch兼 thu hoặc hấp thụ một thứ gì đó để nó không còn tồn tại riêng biệt

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To voraciously consume resources, such as money; to devour.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Tiêu thụ tài nguyên một cách tham lam

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “swallow up” mean?

To completely enclose or envelop.

Is “swallow up” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.