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

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

From Science Daily • Apr. 25, 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

There's an Open at Royal Birkdale in July, the venue where he announced himself by chipping in at the last to finish fourth as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

We dug all night, chipping away at the ice, digging as deep as we could.

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys