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
Sign up The ants that returned to the nest were quickly approached by one or two comrades, which gnawed the leg above the femur, amputating it entirely.
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Byhumberto Basilio, science.org, 2 July 2024
The pain most often occurs in the lower back, joints, arms, legs and core, and patients describe it in almost every possible form: sudden, throbbing, sharp, but also steady and gnawing like a toothache.
—Emily Sohn, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024
They munch, dig, and gnaw on everything from tender plant shoots, tree buds and fruits, garden vegetables, and bulbs.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2024
There is so much rugged poetry contained in this film, and yet the palpable, gnawing horror is what sees it through.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gnaw 
Byhumberto Basilio, science.org, 2 July 2024
The pain most often occurs in the lower back, joints, arms, legs and core, and patients describe it in almost every possible form: sudden, throbbing, sharp, but also steady and gnawing like a toothache.
—Emily Sohn, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024
They munch, dig, and gnaw on everything from tender plant shoots, tree buds and fruits, garden vegetables, and bulbs.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2024
There is so much rugged poetry contained in this film, and yet the palpable, gnawing horror is what sees it through.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gnaw
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Cite this Entry
“Gnaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnaw. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.
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