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.

Beatty’s lyrics are filled with strong images and evocative phrases — the paint chipping off a “white picket dream” in the new album’s “Fleur de Lis,” for instance.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026

“When I’m saying diversifying, that is chipping away at it year over year.”

From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026

"It's all chipping away at society," he said.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

I dug and dug, chipping away at the gray bark until the soft brown inside of the tree glowed with the word, like the tree itself was saying it.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely