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

She says: "We are lucky we do have somebody that's got that knowledge, and a bit of time that he can just keep chipping away at it".

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

Kash Patel’s ultracasual style and attraction to the spotlight are chipping away at that image.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

The French striker took advantage of St. Clair’s poor clearance by chipping the ball over the goalkeeper’s head to take a 2-0 lead.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

She got down on her hands and knees and started chipping away at the earth with the tiny shovel.

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys