gnaw
verb (used with object)
to bite or chew on, especially persistently.
was gnawing
-
past progressiveof gnaw.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
"After making it, intrigue and curiosity was gnawing away at me and I decided to try my hand at a more stripped back version of the same album, and Restless Lullabies was born," he said.
From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2023
He had gone more than three years without a win, dating to the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua to start 2019, and it was gnawing at him.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 10, 2022
By the time he showed up at the Charleston hospital, perhaps 10 days after he should have, he had developed a large abscess, one that was gnawing through the muscle in his abdominal wall.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 19, 2020
The 18 hours and 24 minutes he spent getting to the concluding Sunday was gnawing at his stamina.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 2, 2020
The ghost/prophet/inspector/angel was gnawing some kind of plastic strip off her wrist.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
