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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Recent Examples of gnaw
Yet the techno-optimism sweeping the production community is accompanied by a gnawing anxiety about the way established IP is at risk of being ripped off and remixed.
—
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
The end of his tenure with the Cubs gnaws it him.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for gnaw
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
The end of his tenure with the Cubs gnaws it him.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for gnaw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gnaw
Verb
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In particular, the city’s stormwater system is failing as pipes have eroded and caused sinkholes to pop up in some parts of the city.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
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While cord-cutting continues to erode the national pay-TV base, local sports has managed to offset any losses in linear reach with a rapidly expanding streaming audience.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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During the week, Aluko had described lying in bed at the height of the controversy, depressed and unable to eat.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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While about 10% of adults worldwide report bloating, fatigue or gut pain after eating foods containing gluten, only 16% to 30% of those cases show true gluten-specific reactions, the paper found.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gnaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnaw. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
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