gnawing

The creature is gnawing on some parmesan crust with its eyes squeezed shut, like eating the scraps is an experience to be savored with everything it has.

It focused her mind wonderfully, and she began to understand why Beowulf found gnawing on hard objects so appealing.

Beowulf had given up building towers and was now gnawing on the blocks.

“At least my parents had the sense to leave me in the care of a well-regarded educational institution,” Penelope told herself as she pictured her three pupils, barking and gnawing and baying at the moon.

AI could be one, as well: The very thing powering the stock market to records might be gnawing away at Americans’ sense of well being.