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
Roaches dead and alive, rodents dead and gnawing and other problems with basic cleanliness and food safety put five restaurants on this week’s Sick and Shut Down List.
—
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 4 July 2024
The rabbits dug tunnels underneath the lawn, as well as gnawed on electrical cables and pipes on the grounds.
—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 27 June 2024
That sentiment is also common in Cape Otway, Victoria, a forested triangle of coastline where a small cohort of French Island koalas was reintroduced in the 1980s—and quickly boomed, gnawing its way through the region’s manna gum trees.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 17 June 2024
Babies as young as 6 months and who have started on solid foods can safely gnaw on frozen foods in a baby mesh bag.
—Jeannette Moninger, Parents, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for gnaw 
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 4 July 2024
The rabbits dug tunnels underneath the lawn, as well as gnawed on electrical cables and pipes on the grounds.
—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 27 June 2024
That sentiment is also common in Cape Otway, Victoria, a forested triangle of coastline where a small cohort of French Island koalas was reintroduced in the 1980s—and quickly boomed, gnawing its way through the region’s manna gum trees.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 17 June 2024
Babies as young as 6 months and who have started on solid foods can safely gnaw on frozen foods in a baby mesh bag.
—Jeannette Moninger, Parents, 11 June 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 15 Jul. 2024.
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