gnaw (at or on)

verb

Definition of gnaw (at or on)next
as in to nibble (on)

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gnaw (at or on)
  1. chew
  2. lick
Verb
  • His clawed and chewed backpack revealed that he, too, could have been critically injured.
    — Jan Thacker, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Dogs may also dig up and chew flower bulbs, which can contain higher concentrations of toxins than the leaves and blooms above ground.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of chew
Verb
  • There was the physician who analyzed the growth rate of his fingernails for 35 years and the geologist who looked into why his colleagues lick rocks.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026
  • An ancient Nazi scientist (Dan Stevens) crawling across a carpet to lick a woman’s stilettoed foot.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of lick
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.

Browse Nearby Words

gnaw (at)
gnaw (at or on)
gnawed
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Cite this Entry

“Gnaw (at or on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnaw%20%28at%20or%20on%29. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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