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
His decision to complete his degree soothed a regret that had gnawed at him for years.
—
Maria Polletta, AZCentral.com, 30 July 2025
These are works that worm their way under your skin and gnaw at the anxieties, tensions and little fears that live there.
—Nina-Sophia Miralles, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Advanced Micro Devices first-quarter results had enough for both bull and bears on the Street to gnaw at going forward.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 7 May 2025
Flesh-eating piranhas gnawed at her feet and ripped two of her toes off, national newspapers Correio Braziliense, G1, and Metropoles reported.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 14 June 2025
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.
Maria Polletta, AZCentral.com, 30 July 2025
These are works that worm their way under your skin and gnaw at the anxieties, tensions and little fears that live there.
—Nina-Sophia Miralles, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Advanced Micro Devices first-quarter results had enough for both bull and bears on the Street to gnaw at going forward.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 7 May 2025
Flesh-eating piranhas gnawed at her feet and ripped two of her toes off, national newspapers Correio Braziliense, G1, and Metropoles reported.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 14 June 2025
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 2 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share