gnaw

verb

ˈnȯ

gnawed; gnawing; gnaws

Synonyms of gnaw next

transitive verb

: to bite or chew on with the teeth

especially : to wear away by persistent biting or nibbling

a dog gnawing a bone

: to make by gnawing

rats gnawed a hole

: to be a source of vexation to : plague

anxiety always gnawing him

: to affect like gnawing

hunger gnawing her vitals

: erode, corrode

intransitive verb

: to bite or nibble persistently

gnawing at his underlip

: to produce an effect of or as if of gnawing

waves gnawing away at the cliffs

gnawer

ˈnȯ(-ə)r

noun

Example Sentences

The dog was gnawing a bone. He nervously gnawed on his fingernails. Rabbits have gnawed at the hedge. Rabbits had gnawed a hole in the hedge.

Recent Examples on the Web There are other shrew-rats in Indonesia and the Philippines, and while all of them have lost the ability to gnaw, none have features quite as extreme as Esselstyn’s new find. —

Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 21 Aug. 2012 That comes as the growing economic clout of China and oil- and gas-rich autocracies like Qatar continues to gnaw away at Western presumptions about the superiority of liberal democracy. —

Time, 20 Nov. 2022 The place lived up to the hype from the jump, not just because we were surrounded by a mad pack of wolves eager to gnaw the marrow from our bones. —

Ben Flanagan | Bflanagan@al.com, al, 5 Nov. 2022 While Jack is supportive and excited, the question of paternity continues to gnaw at him. —

Amethyst Tate, PEOPLE.com, 8 July 2022 He is gone now, and the waves gnaw at the shore and the island slowly sinks into the sea. —

Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 While Jack is supportive and excited, the question of paternity continues to gnaw at him. —

Amethyst Tate, PEOPLE.com, 8 July 2022 While Jack is supportive and excited, the question of paternity continues to gnaw at him. —

Amethyst Tate, PEOPLE.com, 8 July 2022 Despite the agreement, analysts say the economic fallout from the war has begun to gnaw at European unity against Moscow. —

Paul Hannon, WSJ, 31 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gnaw.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.