as in to erode
to consume or wear away gradually
time has gnawed that author's reputation to the point where he rates little more than a footnote
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of gnaw
There are posts about sticks shaped like hands, ones that resemble snakes, slingshot sticks, wizard staffs, curved canes and spiraled, twisted and beetle-gnawed sticks.
—
Alina Hartounian, NPR, 23 Jan. 2025
Inspectors found mice droppings and gnaw marks around the storage facility, including on shelves, in food bins and on food products.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Three large canisters of nitrous oxide were found next to the body of former My Chemical Romance drummer Bob Bryar in November, and he had been gnawed on by his dogs, a Tennessee coroner said.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2025
And yet even with these quiet moments inflating the film’s scant 70-minute running time, there’s a gnawing scent of doom in the air, the sense that Ryan’s time in his home will be pivotal and tragic.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gnaw
Alina Hartounian, NPR, 23 Jan. 2025
Inspectors found mice droppings and gnaw marks around the storage facility, including on shelves, in food bins and on food products.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Three large canisters of nitrous oxide were found next to the body of former My Chemical Romance drummer Bob Bryar in November, and he had been gnawed on by his dogs, a Tennessee coroner said.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2025
And yet even with these quiet moments inflating the film’s scant 70-minute running time, there’s a gnawing scent of doom in the air, the sense that Ryan’s time in his home will be pivotal and tragic.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gnaw
Cite this Entry
“Gnaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnaw. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share