gnaw

verb

ˈnȯ How to pronounce gnaw (audio)
Definition of gnawnext
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

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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 Kelsey passes around a bowl of clam shells with questions written on them as Liz gnaws on a corn on the cob. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 15 June 2026 Mice can and will gnaw through most softer materials. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 14 June 2026 All of which raises one gnawing little question. — Kyle Wagner, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026 Using its large, continuously growing incisors — which resemble those of rodents more than those of other primates — the aye-aye starts to gnaw its way through the wood. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for gnaw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gnaw
  1. erode
  2. eat
Verb
  • Phillips-Fein recently talked to CNN about how those ideals have eroded in recent years and why some working- class and poor people embrace the belief that extreme inequality is good for America.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Golden mussels can eradicate fish populations and erode delta habitats, and California farmers could lose their water.
    — Ashley Sharp, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of erode
Verb
  • An 8-year-old has died after contracting a rare brain-eating amoeba believed to have been encountered while swimming in a lake near her home, her family and health officials said.
    — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The best accessories to oyster eating are those that amplify the bivalve’s puckery, oceanic qualities rather than counterbalancing them.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of eat

Phrases Containing gnaw

Browse Nearby Words

gnashing
gnaw
gnaw (at)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gnaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnaw. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gnaw

Nglish: Translation of gnaw for Spanish Speakers

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