chips away
Slowly breaks down
Chips away means to reduce something gradually through persistent small efforts.
The image is of removing material bit by bit, as a sculptor chips away at stone.
You can chip away at a task, a debt, or an opponent's lead: She's been chipping away at her student loans for years.
The phrase often implies patient, incremental progress against something substantial.
- erodeDiminish through persistent friction
- sculptShape by carving
- ice sculptureArt from frozen water
- chiselEdged carving implement
- stone masonOne who cuts, shapes stone
slow erosion · scrape · wear down · wears thin · whittle · undermine · diminish · etch · carve · wood carving · weaken · pare · reduce · little by little · bit by bit · attrition · death by a thousand cuts · gradual
- erodeserodes, corrodes, abrades, wears down, wears out
chips awaydemolishes
Tears down completely
shatters · obliterates · annihilates · smashes · blows up
chips awaybuilds up
Accumulates gradually
accumulates · accrues · amasses · reinforces · augments
chips awaygives up
Ceases effort or resistance
abandons · quits · surrenders · throws in the towel · walks away