biting (at)

verb

Definition of biting (at)next
present participle of bite (at)
as in eroding
to consume or wear away gradually the waves were biting at the sand castle I had worked so hard on

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for biting (at)
  1. eroding
  2. eating
Verb
  • By the late 1500s, the once vigorous Ming was severely eroding.
    — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
  • That unease is eroding faith in political leaders and fueling calls for upheaval across the spectrum, from young conservatives to students backing progressive challengers in Michigan.
    — Jacqueline Ganun, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of eroding
Verb
  • Viewed from a distance, the steady feeding process would proceed like a triangle as the victim brown dwarf orbits the star that is eating it.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Whole grains are digested more slowly than refined grains, which may help reduce blood sugar spikes after eating.
    — Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of eating
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

biting
biting (at)
biting (on)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Biting (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/biting%20%28at%29. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All