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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for gnaw
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
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
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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This could make eating more enjoyable, leading to eating more.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
26 Oct. 2025
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The video showed dozens of videos and pictures sent to her, all featuring people eating McDonald's fries as a show of solidarity.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gnaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnaw. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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