gnaw
verb (used with object)
to bite or chew on, especially persistently.
have been gnawing
-
present perfect progressiveof gnaw.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Beavers have been gnawing on trees and building dams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2021
Wa Lone thought to himself that a dog may have been gnawing on them.
From Reuters ● Aug. 8, 2018
Despite Gstaad’s billionaire tax exiles and their fortunes, most of the area’s farming families, whose land the rich have been gnawing over the years, haven’t fared nearly as well.
From New York Times ● Oct. 31, 2014
He would have been gnawing on the microphone, boiling beneath his breath.
From Newsweek ● Dec. 6, 2010
Its brown icing was as full of holes as the binding of a book when bookworms have been gnawing at it for years.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
