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
Tyson, the 58-year-old heavyweight legend who retired nearly two decades ago, hobbled around the ring and gnawed his glove anxiously, only occasionally returning fire.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
In the marketplace, there’s an impressive array of plush toys with baguettes, French fries and hot dogs for your pets to gnaw on to their heart’s content.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
The dog bit and gnawed on Bates’ scalp, the lawsuit alleges, and ignored Bates’ and Rezentes’ attempts to halt the attack.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024
When they are allowed to thrive in large populations, termites have an incredible capacity to gnaw through huge amounts of vegetation in no time.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gnaw 
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Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
In the marketplace, there’s an impressive array of plush toys with baguettes, French fries and hot dogs for your pets to gnaw on to their heart’s content.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
The dog bit and gnawed on Bates’ scalp, the lawsuit alleges, and ignored Bates’ and Rezentes’ attempts to halt the attack.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024
When they are allowed to thrive in large populations, termites have an incredible capacity to gnaw through huge amounts of vegetation in no time.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gnaw
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Dictionary Entries Near gnaw
Cite this Entry
“Gnaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnaw. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
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