1 C1 informal
To grind or crush something with the teeth in a violent or angry manner.
"The monster in the story gnashed up the bones with a terrible sound."
separable
gnash up
C1 informal separable transitive
To grind or crush something violently with the teeth; an extremely rare and non-standard phrasal verb.
In plain English
To grind something hard with your teeth until it is broken up.
What does "gnash up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To grind with the teeth until broken into pieces.
Actually means
To grind something hard with your teeth until it is broken up.
Usage tip
This is not a well-established phrasal verb and is extremely rare in corpora. 'Gnash' alone (as in 'gnash one's teeth') is the standard form. 'Gnash up' may appear occasionally in literary or hyperbolic informal speech but should not be treated as a standard phrasal verb. ESL learners are advised to use 'gnash one's teeth' instead.
Words that pair with "gnash up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
teeth food bone
How to conjugate "gnash up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
gnash up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
gnashes up
he/she/it
Past simple
gnashed up
yesterday
Past participle
gnashed up
have + pp
-ing form
gnashing up
continuous
Hear "gnash up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "gnash up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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