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Ate up time vs Ate time

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'Ate up time' is more commonly used to indicate that time was consumed or wasted, while 'ate time' is less common and may not be as idiomatic. The choice between the two depends on the specific context in which you want to convey the idea of time being used or wasted.

Last updated: March 15, 2024

Ate up time

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate that time was consumed or wasted.

This phrase is used to convey the idea that time was used up or wasted. It implies that a significant amount of time was consumed or taken away.

Examples:

  • The long meeting ate up most of our afternoon.
  • Her constant interruptions are eating up my study time.
  • The unexpected delays ate up all the time we had budgeted for the project.
  • The lengthy commute is eating up a big chunk of my day.
  • The technical issues ate up valuable time during the presentation.
  • May 1, 2014 ... MH370 report: Mixed messages ate up time before official search initiated. (CNN) – Confusion, misleading information and then long periods of ...
  • May 2, 2014 ... MH370 report: Mixed messages ate up time before official search initiated. By Ben Brumfield and Holly Yan, CNN. Updated 11:24 AM ET, ...
  • Jan 9, 2015 ... Ate up time." One of her tweets claimed their response was "being held hostage," posting this just as the France hostage crisis unfolded on ...
  • Placing gear and building belays in the frozen cracks ate up time and energy. After five pitches that tested everything I've ever learned in 26 years of climbing ...

Alternatives:

  • consumed time
  • wasted time
  • used up time
  • took up time
  • devoured time

Ate time

This phrase is correct but less common in English. It may not be as idiomatic as 'ate up time'.

This phrase can also be used to convey the idea of time being consumed or wasted, but it is less commonly used than 'ate up time'. It may sound slightly less natural to native speakers.
  • Gotye - Smoke & Mirrors · Kotex 3 · Gotye - What Do You Want · Kotex 1&2 · The Goat That Ate Time · Art & Illustration · Objects. index. The Goat That Ate Time ...
  • Message Boards. Discuss The Goat That Ate Time (2007) on the IMDb message boards ». Getting Started | Contributor Zone » ...
  • 'The Goat That Ate Time'. from PHOTOPLAY FILMS PRO 4 years ago Not Yet Rated. An animation which covers the journey of a time eating goat, to its final ...
  • The Goat That Ate Time. from Lucinda Schreiber Plus 5 months ago All Audiences. Written, directed, animated and produced by Lucinda Schreiber in 2007.

Alternatives:

  • consumed time
  • wasted time
  • used up time
  • took up time
  • devoured time

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