To be eaten; to be bitten—passive form indicating something is eaten or chewed (e.g., by insects).
りんごが虫に食われて穴だらけになった。
The apple was eaten by insects and ended up full of holes.
海辺でサンドイッチを出したら、カラスに食われた。
When I took out a sandwich at the beach, a crow ate it.
畑の白菜が鹿に食われてしまった。
The napa cabbages in the field were eaten by deer.
Figuratively, to be outdone, upstaged, or overtaken—used when someone loses advantage or prominence to another.
新人の演技にベテランが食われる場面もあった。
There were moments when the veteran was upstaged by the newcomer’s performance.
彼の得点力にチームメートが食われてしまった。
His scoring ability overshadowed his teammates.
その企画はライバル社に先を越され、完全に食われた。
The project was preempted by a rival company and was completely overtaken.