as in to erode
to consume or wear away gradually
time has gnawed that author's reputation to the point where he rates little more than a footnote
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gnaw
Much of this decision came down to a gnawing confusion over my own responsibility.
—
Frances Dodds Samantha Desz Krish Seenivasan Joel Thibodeau, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Police found the infant unresponsive and said she had been gnawed in the face by the family puppy, a pit bull–German shepherd mix.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 28 May 2025
Decayed objects gnaw, toys bleed sawdust, and the White Rabbit—stitched-up and glassy-eyed—wields a pair of scissors like a surgical instrument.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
Often, a vehicle won’t start or fails to operate properly because mice have gnawed through wires in the engine compartment.
—Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gnaw
Frances Dodds Samantha Desz Krish Seenivasan Joel Thibodeau, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Police found the infant unresponsive and said she had been gnawed in the face by the family puppy, a pit bull–German shepherd mix.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 28 May 2025
Decayed objects gnaw, toys bleed sawdust, and the White Rabbit—stitched-up and glassy-eyed—wields a pair of scissors like a surgical instrument.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
Often, a vehicle won’t start or fails to operate properly because mice have gnawed through wires in the engine compartment.
—Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gnaw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gnaw
Verb
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Chatterjee notes that this is a brand with strong retention but declining acquisition potential due to eroding external perception.—
Jeff Fromm,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
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Many of his directives this term have closely mirrored Project 2025, a conservative policy agenda that explicitly prioritizes eroding LGBTQ rights.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
28 June 2025
Verb
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The successful hatchings come about a year after Scout ate two of his chicks as a first-time dad, leaving the pair with no surviving eaglets from their first nesting season, McClatchy News previously reported.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2025
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The calls came while eating lunch, while lying in bed at night.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gnaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnaw. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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