nibbled

verb

past tense of nibble
1
as in pecked
to eat reluctantly and in small bites having no real appetite at all, I just nibbled during the party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chewed
to crush or grind with the teeth nibbling crackers

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in eroded
to consume or wear away gradually discovered that inflation had steadily nibbled their savings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of nibbled Kikuko, her appetite sluggish, nibbled the bread bit by bit from the edges, all the while furtively watching her father. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 Threatened by the lack of water and nibbled by starving livestock, the trees that once formed a dense forest in the Somali region of Ethiopia are in danger, locals say. — ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026 For years, not having enough money nibbled at my aunt’s health. — Jenisha Watts, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026 That led to a viral moment in a Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game when his teammates were shown chowing down on the turkey provided by Fox, while Montgomery nibbled on a carrot. — Matt Young, Houston Chronicle, 2 Mar. 2026 What Wear's cocktail reception at Kabawa brought together names like Lana Condor, Tefi Pessoa and Jessel Taank, who joined in the festivities as guests nibbled on oysters and mini beef patties (with goody bags presented by Maison BCBG on the way out the door). — Anika Reed, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026 Orange-and-white clown fish peered from rust-red anemones; neon-green parrotfish nibbled at bubblegum-pink brain coral. — Susan Casey, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026 The two leopards chased each other through the leaves and even nibbled on a few. — Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Nov. 2025 With the Miami waterfront as its backdrop, music filled the venue as industry leaders networked, nibbled on appetizers, and posed for photos in front of a flower wall provided by Johnnie Walker. — James Dinh, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nibbled
  1. pecked
  2. chewed
  3. eroded
  4. picked
  5. ate
Verb
  • Pelicans swooped overhead and night herons, with spiky yellow feathers flying from their heads, goofily pecked the grass for insects.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026
  • As Cadeau pecked his way through the blue-and-maize confetti littering the court, Justin did a quick change.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
Definition of pecked
Verb
  • Avoid giving younger children hard candies such as Jolly Ranchers or other kinds that can’t be chewed easily.
    — Lina Ruiz October 9, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Beside a fallen tree, McCormack points out how a beaver chewed more deeply into one side of the trunk, bringing it down into the water.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of chewed
Verb
  • The killing drew national outrage and calls for accountability, becoming the latest in a string of incidents that has eroded trust in police in the small town.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Chinese firms have been suffering from declining profit growth amid intense competition that has eroded margins and even invited the government to step in.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of eroded
Verb
  • The property later passed through several notable hands, including Creative Artists Agency (CAA) co-chairman Kevin Huvane and filmmaker Roberto Sneider, before Channing Tatum picked it up for $6 million in 2015, according to Variety.
    — Michael Gioia, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Kansas was picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 preseason poll; the highest finish of the Schneider era was fifth place in 2021-22.
    — PJ Green October 21, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of picked
Verb
  • On one day in late December, Eden barely ate all day.
    — Angela Andaloro, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • While neither is an effective big league pitcher at this point, those moves ate into the Yankees’ limited rotation depth.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
Definition of ate

Browse Nearby Words

nibble
nibbled
nibbled (on)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nibbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nibbled. Accessed 28 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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All