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
Outfielders are the most frequent chompers, but even players in the much-busier infield will sometimes spit out a shell in the middle of the action, or gnaw on a toothpick.
—
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
Sign up The ants that returned to the nest were quickly approached by one or two comrades, which gnawed the leg above the femur, amputating it entirely.
—Byhumberto Basilio, science.org, 2 July 2024
The pain most often occurs in the lower back, joints, arms, legs and core, and patients describe it in almost every possible form: sudden, throbbing, sharp, but also steady and gnawing like a toothache.
—Emily Sohn, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024
They munch, dig, and gnaw on everything from tender plant shoots, tree buds and fruits, garden vegetables, and bulbs.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gnaw 
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
Sign up The ants that returned to the nest were quickly approached by one or two comrades, which gnawed the leg above the femur, amputating it entirely.
—Byhumberto Basilio, science.org, 2 July 2024
The pain most often occurs in the lower back, joints, arms, legs and core, and patients describe it in almost every possible form: sudden, throbbing, sharp, but also steady and gnawing like a toothache.
—Emily Sohn, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024
They munch, dig, and gnaw on everything from tender plant shoots, tree buds and fruits, garden vegetables, and bulbs.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gnaw
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gnaw.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Gnaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnaw. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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