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.

The agency has seen a decrease in funding since 2011, with inflation chipping away at a largely stagnant budget.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

Nexstar has been chipping away at the staff of its Chicago station WGN, which produces 12 hours of local news daily.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

KHARKIV, Ukraine—A Ukrainian counterattack in the country’s southeast is chipping away at Russian advances there and demonstrating that Kyiv’s forces have got plenty of fight left as Moscow’s invasion stretches into a fifth year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

"It's regular season, so we just have to keep on chipping at it, keep on growing, keep on getting better and preparing for the postseason," he said.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

The next day, they went to a hardware store and bought putty knives and steel spatulas, and the decon team went to work chipping the walls and floor.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston