as in eroding
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 gnawing
There came a moment—probably before the husband dragged the child, gnawing on his gloved hand, through attic insulation—when things shifted like a plank laying across a fulcrum, weight placed on one end.
—
Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Yet the techno-optimism sweeping the production community is accompanied by a gnawing anxiety about the way established IP is at risk of being ripped off and remixed.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 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
Some might use it as a toy, gnawing and tearing it up, while others, like Potato, like to sleep with the clothing item.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
No other piece of music this year so eloquently captured fin de siècle wariness, the gnawing sense that a new, scary, and potentially enlightening world may be only two years away.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Yet the techno-optimism sweeping the production community is accompanied by a gnawing anxiety about the way established IP is at risk of being ripped off and remixed.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 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
Some might use it as a toy, gnawing and tearing it up, while others, like Potato, like to sleep with the clothing item.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
No other piece of music this year so eloquently captured fin de siècle wariness, the gnawing sense that a new, scary, and potentially enlightening world may be only two years away.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gnawing
Verb
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Higher insurance and financing costs would be reflected as a sanctions premium on Russian crude, widening the discount to Brent and eroding Russia’s net revenue, the analysis said.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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But Congress has increasingly rejected his agenda, underscoring his eroding grip on power.—
NPR,
NPR,
24 Oct. 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
“Gnawing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnawing. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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