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
There are some more intense visuals here than others on this list, including someone vomiting bugs, a toothless old woman gnawing on a face, and, as the title suggests, a demon dragging people to hell.
—
Dustin Nelson, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for gnaw 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dustin Nelson, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
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
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 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share