gnawed; gnawing; gnaws
1
a
: to bite or chew on with the teeth
especially
: to wear away by persistent biting or nibbling
a dog gnawing a bone
b
: to make by gnawing
rats gnawed a hole
2
a
: to be a source of vexation to : plague
anxiety always gnawing him
b
: to affect like gnawing
hunger gnawing her vitals
1
: to bite or nibble persistently
gnawing at his underlip
2
: to produce an effect of or as if of gnawing
waves gnawing away at the cliffs
Examples of gnaw in a Sentence
The dog was gnawing a bone.
He nervously gnawed on his fingernails.
Rabbits have gnawed at the hedge.
Rabbits had gnawed a hole in the hedge.
Recent Examples on the Web
In the ancient world and the new Hope’s the same for moth and monarch: hazy
Instrument of flight armies gnaw and gnash, leaving the dead
Uncovered like a girl ablaze
A century ago, crying for help, coveting just a drop of water.
—
Paul Tran, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Whannell opts to go the practical route, using prosthetics and other on-camera devices to simulate Blake’s agonizing mutation, but errs on the side of realism, with its infected father sweating up a storm before gnawing his arm with those sharp new canines of his.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Jan. 2025
If anything, the scene where Blake starts to gnaw his own arm off is the most relatable part of the movie.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2025
The statue in question is an incomplete 1st- or 2nd-century Roman sculpture of a boy gnawing the arm of his opponent during a game of knucklebones.
—Jeremy Lybarger, ARTnews.com, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gnaw 
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Paul Tran, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Whannell opts to go the practical route, using prosthetics and other on-camera devices to simulate Blake’s agonizing mutation, but errs on the side of realism, with its infected father sweating up a storm before gnawing his arm with those sharp new canines of his.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Jan. 2025
If anything, the scene where Blake starts to gnaw his own arm off is the most relatable part of the movie.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2025
The statue in question is an incomplete 1st- or 2nd-century Roman sculpture of a boy gnawing the arm of his opponent during a game of knucklebones.
—Jeremy Lybarger, ARTnews.com, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gnaw
Articles Related to gnaw
Dictionary Entries Near gnaw
Cite this Entry
“Gnaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnaw. Accessed 25 Feb. 2025.
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