gnaw at

phrasal verb

gnawed at; gnawing at; gnaws at
: to be a source of worry or concern to (someone)
This problem has been gnawing at me day and night.
She says she's fine, but I can see that something is gnawing at her.

Examples of gnaw at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web What gnaws at Romero’s self-worth is the same cruel trick played on Boomer computer techies, sales reps and accountants across the corporate landscape. Mark Kiszla, The Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2024 But something kept gnawing at her to take on the tougher challenge. Sam Lubell, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 For almost as long as Henry Louis Gates, Jr. can remember, questions about his heritage have gnawed at him. Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 Scissors gnawed at stems, razors sliced wrapping paper, and water slapped against dozens of empty vases. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 Three orcas, the large black-and-white dolphins also known as killer whales, worked in tandem; a large orca rammed the boat from the side while two smaller ones gnawed at the rudder until it was destroyed and the yacht was taking on water. Rachel Riederer, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2023 But political conflict is gnawing at those relationships. Ali Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2023 Still, the idea of letting a rival come in to woo away viewers is a bit of a risk — a move tantamount to a homeowner letting termites come into a house and gnaw at its innards. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 Sep. 2023 The cost of the program has gnawed at John Pendleton, who for years was a top military analyst at the Government Accountability Office and has studied the rise and fall of the LCS as closely as anyone in Washington. Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 23 Nov. 2015

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gnaw at.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near gnaw at

Cite this Entry

“Gnaw at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnaw%20at. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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