chip away at
phr. v..phr. v.. to gradually make something weaker, smaller, or less effective by taking away little pieces of it over time.
phr. v.. to gradually reduce the size, value, or effectiveness of something through persistent, incremental actions.
They are trying to chip away at the total cost.
The new competitor is slowly chipping away at our market share by offering lower prices.
Years of constant criticism began to chip away at her confidence, eventually leading her to resign from the high-pressure position.
- Particles
- away at
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- chip + away + at + object
usually followed by an abstract noun like power, confidence, debt, or a large task.
use the physical image of a sculptor using a chisel to help students visualize how small, repeated actions eventually change a large object.
He chipped away the problem.He chipped away at the problem.the preposition 'at' is necessary to show that the action is directed toward the object without completing it immediately.