gnaw at
phrasal verb
gnawed at; gnawing at; gnaws at
: to be a source of worry or concern to (someone)
This problem has been gnawing at me day and night.
She says she's fine, but I can see that something is gnawing at her.
Examples of gnaw at in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While Ashcroft points out that his film is not intended to demonize eldercare, the setting gnaws at a particularly grim fear about growing old.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025
Putrid, grizzle-toothed — gnawing at everything and undermining or infesting homes.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2025
The rain will gnaw at the coating protecting the Mech.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2025
Prosecutor Nathaniel Stumme, who worked on the Duluth case, said the outcome still gnaws at him.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gnaw at
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.
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025
Putrid, grizzle-toothed — gnawing at everything and undermining or infesting homes.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2025
The rain will gnaw at the coating protecting the Mech.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2025
Prosecutor Nathaniel Stumme, who worked on the Duluth case, said the outcome still gnaws at him.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gnaw at
Cite this Entry
“Gnaw at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnaw%20at. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share