1
as in snacking
to eat reluctantly and in small bites
having no real appetite at all, I just nibbled during the party
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chewing
to crush or grind with the teeth
nibbling crackers
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in eroding
to consume or wear away gradually
discovered that inflation had steadily nibbled their savings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nibbling
In October 2025, a TikTok user posted a video of a gray squirrel nibbling on the mouth end of a vape device in Philadelphia.
—
Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
Their livestock wander about us, enormous antlers swinging, hooves clicking — the sound helps them to find each other in a blizzard — and occasionally nibbling lichen from Aatsinki’s outstretched hand.
—Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Our fellow guests were all seated at garden tables, nibbling sandwiches cut into little triangles and sipping from fancy teacups.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
This is an inexpensive and simple way to deter nibbling animals.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 5 Feb. 2026
The water is brackish and refreshingly cold, with darting fish nibbling at dangling feet.
—Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
Most of them spend a decent chunk of time nibbling on beetles, moths, mosquitoes, and the like.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 3 Dec. 2025
Fabulous house, wonderful food, 30 companies trolling for dough, a raft of others nibbling and drinking.
—Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
To prevent injury, wrap tree bark in late fall and remove in early spring (this will also prevent rodent nibbling of the trunk).
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
Their livestock wander about us, enormous antlers swinging, hooves clicking — the sound helps them to find each other in a blizzard — and occasionally nibbling lichen from Aatsinki’s outstretched hand.
—Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Our fellow guests were all seated at garden tables, nibbling sandwiches cut into little triangles and sipping from fancy teacups.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
This is an inexpensive and simple way to deter nibbling animals.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 5 Feb. 2026
The water is brackish and refreshingly cold, with darting fish nibbling at dangling feet.
—Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
Most of them spend a decent chunk of time nibbling on beetles, moths, mosquitoes, and the like.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 3 Dec. 2025
Fabulous house, wonderful food, 30 companies trolling for dough, a raft of others nibbling and drinking.
—Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
To prevent injury, wrap tree bark in late fall and remove in early spring (this will also prevent rodent nibbling of the trunk).
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nibbling
Verb
-
One such case involved a man in Texas who had the gene associated with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, a condition that causes severe intellectual disability and self-harm—chewing one’s fingers and lips, head-bashing, eye-poking.—
Jerome Groopman,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Then, brush the inside surface and the chewing surface of your teeth.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Mammoth bluffs followed by last-minute retreats only deepened perceptions of inconsistency, further eroding deterrence.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
European carmakers lose premium brand status in China European carmakers are losing their premium brand status in China, as younger consumers opt for cars from domestic brands, further eroding Western firms’ prospects in a cutthroat global market.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The siblings have been caught pecking and pushing each other during a feeding session.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
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The scene is right out of the 1950s with students pecking away at manual typewriters, the machines dinging at the end of each line.—
Jocelyn Gecker,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The shots rang out from the back of the ballroom as attendees were eating their first course, several minutes after White House Correspondents’ Association President Weija Jiang delivered remarks.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
26 Apr. 2026
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But doubters who scoffed back then may be eating their words now.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nibbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nibbling. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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