gnaw at
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
While Callaghan successfully transitioned to the more traditional newscast-style Channel 5, the loss of AGNB’s esoteric style and specific storytelling seemed to gnaw at him.
—
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
The issue that gnawed at him decades later was that staying felt like more of a hereditary imperative than an intentional decision.
—Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2026
Other matters were gnawing at him.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Competitive mushing gnawed at him.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gnaw at
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Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
The issue that gnawed at him decades later was that staying felt like more of a hereditary imperative than an intentional decision.
—Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2026
Other matters were gnawing at him.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Competitive mushing gnawed at him.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gnaw at
Cite this Entry
“Gnaw at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnaw%20at. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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