chipping away
Slowly breaking down
Chipping away describes the process of removing something gradually through persistent small efforts.
The image comes from breaking stone or ice piece by piece.
More often figurative: She's been chipping away at her student loans for years.
You chip away at a large task, a lead in a game, or someone's resistance.
The phrase emphasizes slow, steady progress rather than dramatic breakthroughs.
- sculptingShaping material into forms
- erosionGradual wearing away
- wearing downGradually weakening through persistence
- incrementalismChange through small steps
- progressMovement toward improvement
work in progress · determination · dismantling · persistence · carving · patience · abrasion · overcoming · tenacity · resolve · deconstruction · attrition · death by a thousand cuts · breaking down · bit by bit · little by little · piece by piece · one step at a time
- gradual progressbaby steps, inching, crawling, creeping, steady growth
- deterioratingdecaying, decomposing, degrading, rotting, eroding
- gradual processesaging, erosion, learning, evolution, growth
- persistingpersisting, persevering, persistence, perseverance, continuing
- displacementdislocation, dislodging, relocation, displacing, uprooting
chipping awaydemolishing
Destroying a structure completely
smashing · obliterating · blasting · razing · blowing up
chipping awaygiving up
Choosing to stop trying
abandoning · quitting · overnight success · surrendering · throwing in the towel
chipping awaybuilding up
Increasing gradually
accumulating · constructing · amassing · accruing · piling on