chipping

VERB

knock a piece out of

Synonyms

STRONGEST

chop crack hack nick splinter whack

STRONG

break chisel clip crumble damage flake fragment gash hackle hew incise notch shape shear slash slice sliver snick snip split whittle

WEAK

crack off cut away cut off

Antonyms

STRONGEST

fix mend

STRONG

build combine increase join put together

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.

Offshoring has been chipping away at back-office jobs for decades.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

Researchers say these asymmetrical designs demonstrate that the toolmakers understood how to manage the stones as three-dimensional objects rather than simply chipping away randomly.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

They are also in European action this week but with Chris 'the Woodchopper' Wood back up front, I can see them chipping away at Chelsea and earning another valuable point.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

Then the new guy, Ryan Ward, made the final out in his big league debut, robbed of a hit and a chance to keep chipping away by a diving Troy Johnston in right field.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

When people began chipping away at the Berlin Wall, more joined in—including the very East German border guards who were supposed to protect it.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau