as in eroded
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 gnawed
Wild animals had gnawed through the pressurized canisters, releasing the chemicals inside.
—
Rachel Becker, Los Angeles Times, 12 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
That’s gnawed-on, as in rodents.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 2025
Unfortunately, the wasps had already gnawed much of it, but that is not necessarily a bad sign.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
There were gnaw marks on a chocolate bar on the floor, and a bag of peanuts under the hard candy shelf had been gnawed open.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025
The baby gnawed on the wood posts.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Rachel Becker, Los Angeles Times, 12 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
That’s gnawed-on, as in rodents.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 2025
Unfortunately, the wasps had already gnawed much of it, but that is not necessarily a bad sign.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
There were gnaw marks on a chocolate bar on the floor, and a bag of peanuts under the hard candy shelf had been gnawed open.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025
The baby gnawed on the wood posts.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gnawed
Verb
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When inflation cools, investors typically demand lower yields on long-term bonds because their future returns are less likely to be eroded by rising prices.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Vaccines protect, but public trust has eroded One of the best benefits of the pandemic is innovation in vaccines.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On one day in late December, Eden barely ate all day.—
Angela Andaloro,
People.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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While neither is an effective big league pitcher at this point, those moves ate into the Yankees’ limited rotation depth.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gnawed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnawed. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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