Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
chip-away-at
Phrase
/ʧɪp əˈweɪ æt/
Definition
To gradually reduce or weaken something.
Examples
- She has been chipping away at her debt by making extra payments each month.
- The workers are chipping away at the old concrete to make way for new pavement.
- He started to chip away at her resistance by presenting logical arguments.
Meaning
The phrase ‘chip away at’ refers to the slow and steady process of diminishing or eroding something, whether it be an object, a belief, or an issue, through persistent effort.
Synonyms
- Wear down
- Erode
- Undermine
- Reduce
- Diminish
