gnaws (on)

verb

present tense third-person singular of gnaw (on)
as in chews
to crush or grind with the teeth please don't gnaw on that steak bone—it's very unseemly

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gnaws (on)
  1. chews
  2. masticates
Verb
  • The victim's website could keep working normally while the AI account behind part of it quietly chews through its available balance.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Bella chews him out for punching Angus in the face right before Angus’s big presentation, which Johnny knew about because they were supposed to throw a return supper for him, a dinner Johnny was supposed to cook.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of chews
Verb
  • The opening sequence, where McGuigan shamelessly apes Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, is reasonably entertaining, and McAvoy masticates the scenery with a winking fervor that befits the project, but the whole thing is unforgivably half-baked.
    — Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2021
Definition of masticates
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

gnaws (at or on)
gnaws (on)
gnome
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Cite this Entry

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

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