gnaws

present tense third-person singular of gnaw
as in erodes
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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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of gnaws The end of his tenure with the Cubs gnaws it him. Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gnaws
Verb
  • The main channel of the Amazon River constantly erodes existing land and deposits new earth.
    Isa Cardona, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
  • As the seven-week timeline erodes, some lawmakers have also shown a desire to pass a short-term funding bill that would reopen the government until late next year — but Democrats have shown resistance to that idea, too.
    Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The program eats together today.
    Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • What won't get soggy from the time one kid eats to the time the other kid eats?
    Sari Hitchins, Parents, 13 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gnaws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnaws. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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