gnaw at
phrasal verb
gnawed at; gnawing at; gnaws at
: to be a source of worry or concern to (someone)
This problem has been gnawing at me day and night.
She says she's fine, but I can see that something is gnawing at her.
Examples of gnaw at in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His mental mistakes, however, gnaw at coaches and keep him out of the lineup.
—
Josh Yohe, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
From the beginning, Shrinking has always framed Jimmy’s obsession with healing his patients as a sort of drug, a way of distracting himself from the grief and self-loathing gnawing at him in the background.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
But the thought that China did not back Russia to the hilt will gnaw at the relationship.
—Odd Arne Westad, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2022
Rising grocery prices, in particular, have gnawed at consumer sentiments, and were seen as a key factor in Trump’s victory in November.
—Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gnaw at 
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Josh Yohe, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
From the beginning, Shrinking has always framed Jimmy’s obsession with healing his patients as a sort of drug, a way of distracting himself from the grief and self-loathing gnawing at him in the background.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
But the thought that China did not back Russia to the hilt will gnaw at the relationship.
—Odd Arne Westad, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2022
Rising grocery prices, in particular, have gnawed at consumer sentiments, and were seen as a key factor in Trump’s victory in November.
—Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gnaw at
Dictionary Entries Near gnaw at
Cite this Entry
“Gnaw at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnaw%20at. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
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