carve up

verb

To cut into pieces.

“The British carved up the Ottoman Empire after World War I.”

Similar
dividesplitsplit upseparatedissever
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Meanings

verbcarve up (third-person singular simple present carves up, present participle carving up, simple past and past participle carved up)

present singular third person carves up · participle present carving up · participle past carved up · past carved up

  1. To cut into pieces.
  2. usuallylandcountryTo divide or dismember, separate into parts

    The British carved up the Ottoman Empire after World War I.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbseparate into parts or portions

Similar
dividesplitsplit upseparatedissever
Broader
change integrity
Also see
disseverdivideseparatesplitsplit up

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

German zerschneiden, zerstückeln
  • zerschneidento cut into pieces
  • zerstückelnland, etc.: to divide or dismember
  • zerlegenland, etc.: to divide or dismember
  • in Stücke aufteilenland, etc.: to divide or dismember
Cite this entry
APA

carve up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carve%20up

MLA

“carve up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carve%20up. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “carve up,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carve%20up.

Source: carve up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.