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

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

When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was James’s age, he was chipping in 14 points a night for a Lakers team that had been handed over to Magic Johnson.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 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

People were everywhere; some working in the quarry itself, others scattered about the hillside; the heftier among the men splitting boulders, the women and children chipping fragments off the larger stones.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya