gnaw (at or on)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gnaw (at or on)
Verb
  • The Babycatcher chewed his twig and held on to a thin rope, not much more than a string, which disappeared up into the canopy, likely connected to the pulleys and rigs and tackle that worked the biggest net down below.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Many of its 8,500 residents once lost internet service after squirrels chewed through a fiber-optic cable.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Some even licked the candy to soften it -- a trick used by contestants in the show.
    Hakyung Kate Lee, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Napkins were crumpled; plates were licked.
    Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Gnaw (at or on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnaw%20%28at%20or%20on%29. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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