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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Recent Examples of gnaws
The end of his tenure with the Cubs gnaws it him.
—
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gnaws
Verb
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Confidence erodes, even when results look strong.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Although anger may blow over when the argument is over, the impact of hostile language stays with your partner and erodes the foundation of trust and safety in your relationship.—
Molly Burrets,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There’s the direct cost of the raises, but also the related growth of the city’s pension shortfall, which increasingly eats further into the budget, as reported by the U-T’s Garrick.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
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But no need to call in the food critics this year—the Golden Globes eats seemed to pass the taste test.—
Elise Taylor,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gnaws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnaws. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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