gnawed; gnawing; gnaws
1
a
: to bite or chew on with the teeth
especially
: to wear away by persistent biting or nibbling
a dog gnawing a bone
b
: to make by gnawing
rats gnawed a hole
2
a
: to be a source of vexation to : plague
anxiety always gnawing him
b
: to affect like gnawing
hunger gnawing her vitals
1
: to bite or nibble persistently
gnawing at his underlip
2
: to produce an effect of or as if of gnawing
waves gnawing away at the cliffs
Examples of gnaw in a Sentence
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
Some live with the gnawing fear of running out of options.
—
Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 24 Sep. 2025
All this scrolling feeds a gnawing anxiety about the status of men today, imperiled by shifting cultural norms and technological addictions — an insecurity at the core of debates about the place of men in literature today.
—Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
At some point, everyone faces upheaval; a layoff, a health scare, a collapsing industry, or simply the gnawing sense that the old way isn’t working anymore.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Those scissors are ready to slice and dice paper with ease and gnaw through heavier materials like twine.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gnaw
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Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 24 Sep. 2025
All this scrolling feeds a gnawing anxiety about the status of men today, imperiled by shifting cultural norms and technological addictions — an insecurity at the core of debates about the place of men in literature today.
—Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
At some point, everyone faces upheaval; a layoff, a health scare, a collapsing industry, or simply the gnawing sense that the old way isn’t working anymore.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Those scissors are ready to slice and dice paper with ease and gnaw through heavier materials like twine.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gnaw
Cite this Entry
“Gnaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnaw. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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