knife up

verb10

1. •
   To cut up or carve up with a knife.

   • Elkins had knifed up Hines pretty good before running out. — 2012
2. •
   (figurative) To slice through; to cut or traverse a path through or between.

   • Nosegay loafed along at five knots as it knifed up the yacht basin, passing the line of marinas that laced the inner shore of Shelter Island. — 2005
3. •
   (figurative) To penetrate sharply upward.

   • He leaped almost into the teeth of the blue-tinged ray which knifed up with uncanny accuracy from the slit in the roof of the hut. — 2011
4. •
   (figurative) To move in a stabbing or penetrating manner

   • Cold draughts knifed up between the duckboards. — 1970
5. •
   (figurative) To traverse up the body in a quick stabbing sensation

   • Pain knifed up his leg as he landed, the ladder atop him. — 2007
6. •
   To rise precipitously.

   • Above the trees and parallel to the line of darkness, everlasting Everest knifed up into the sky with dreadful majesty. — 2017
7. •
   (figurative) To sit up or stand up suddenly.

   • I knifed up on the bed. Clean sober awake. — 2000
8. •
   To trim with a knife.

   • Firgure 3 shows a typical laser cut die before knifing-up. In this case there are 60 cartons cut at one time. — 1970
9. •
   (old-fashioned) To trim the edges on a boot or shoe of bits of leather, etc. that may be attached to the sides.

   • The seat must be knifed-up very cleanly, as shown from A to C all the stitches being entirely covered, and the extreme edge of the seat A C being close to the upper leather D. — 2011
10. •
    To extract a morsel or dab (of something) with a knife.

    • He knifed up a morsel, wandered on, chewing happily. — 1959