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.

"It was chipping away, one possession at a time. It wasn't going to be one play to get us back."

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

The wealthy but suddenly unmoored LIV golfers have been left to scramble like a weekend hacker trying to salvage a bogey after chipping into a sand trap.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

The fossil jaws showed extensive chipping, scratching, cracking, and polishing, all signs of a strong biting force.

From Science Daily • Apr. 25, 2026

During the previous, uncrewed Artemis mission, the Orion craft’s heat shield didn’t perform as expected, with protective material on the device chipping off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

On the day after he found out she wasn’t returning, he flew to Lewiston, Idaho, and when he came back, he spent three days chipping away at the fireplace hidden behind the plaster wall.

From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech