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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Others warned holding funding flat without hearing the district’s needs erodes trust and leaves key decisions about staffing, resources and student support happening without transparency.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
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Inflation erodes the coin’s buying power every year.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Mason only eats a very limited diet, probably about 12 things.—
Andrea Kane,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
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Decided to become a breatharian (someone who eats light and drinks air instead of food).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gnaws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnaws. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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