From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishswallow somebody/something ↔ up phrasal verb1 PARTif a company or country is swallowed up by a larger one, it becomes part of it and no longer exists on its own Hundreds of small companies have been swallowed up by these huge multinationals.2 written if something is swallowed up, it disappears because something covers it or hides it Jane was soon swallowed up in the crowd. The countryside is gradually being swallowed up by new developments.3 if an amount of money is swallowed up, you have to spend it to pay for things The extra cash was soon swallowed up. → swallow→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
swallow up• Her prayer was answered; mother earth opened and swallowed her up.• It came and went in swirling waves that rushed down from the ceiling and swallowed her up.• The same tide washed round Colley the Mason and swallowed him up.• The time has not yet come to take bets on which of our neighbours will swallow us up.• Their aim was to keep the Catholic Habsburgs from swallowing them up.• In one swoop the feeling swallowed her up and she had never got rid of it since.• Breeze watched them till the darkness swallowed them up, and went light-heartedly into the house.• And then the very fire seemed to swallow him up, blurring him from Ruth's sight. 