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
Logan Kilgore, in Aplin’s mind, was gnawing on a bad idea.
—
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
Wild animals had gnawed through the pressurized canisters, releasing the chemicals inside.
—Rachel Becker, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Mice can and will gnaw through most softer materials.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 7 Feb. 2026
The lengthy posts are the latest development in the long-standing family feud that has gnawed away at the Beckhams’ attempts to project a perfect family life.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gnaw
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
Wild animals had gnawed through the pressurized canisters, releasing the chemicals inside.
—Rachel Becker, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Mice can and will gnaw through most softer materials.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 7 Feb. 2026
The lengthy posts are the latest development in the long-standing family feud that has gnawed away at the Beckhams’ attempts to project a perfect family life.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gnaw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gnaw
Verb
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That vision of worldwide economic and cultural interdependence that enabled the proliferation of biennials in the ’90s has been steadily eroding amid the recent rise in nativism and far-right movements in the United States and Europe.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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Over time, this can concentrate gains and strain the labor tax base, eroding the revenue streams that underpin the broader economy—funding health care, retirement benefits and basic economic security.—
Ravi Kumar S,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Martha sat on the other bed and thought about what a perverse species humans were—to insist on eating something that had tried so hard to be inedible.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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Because of that, Moody’s has taken a number of downward ratings actions against producers, because the oversupply eats away at margins and the capacity to pay debt is eroding.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gnaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnaw. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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