to chip at
1
3.9
- phrasal verb
- /tʃɪp æt/
:
moler
- So they have concentrated instead on chipping at the edges of Roe by trying to enact restrictions short of a ban that are quietly calculated to eviscerate the right to an abortion, says Johnsen, a former NARAL legal director.
- chip at the ice
- chip at the edges
Examples
-
His sons chip at the wood.
Fiction book (1997) -
The surface of the hole in the pond had iced over during the night, and she chipped at it using the stone left there by the boy.
Fiction book (1992) -
- Why are you gonna let world chip at you and Michael tonight?
-
Chris chips at the wall with his pickaxe.
Fiction book (2002) -
We see the forces that conspire and manipulate to chip at every foundation of the greatest nation on this earth.
Blog text (3) -
She starts chipping at the plaster with the knife.
Fiction book (1998) -
He chipped at the edges, widening the hole.
Fiction book (1992) -
He moved cautiously to the center of the pond, where he squatted and began to chip at the ice with the stone.
Fiction book (1992) -
The shrimp exporter opened the velvet case he had brought with him and took out a gold-plated chisel, making the inaugural chip at the wood.
Fiction book (1994) -
Chris chips at the wall with his pickaxe to remove loose bricks.
Synonyms
272
2.1
Cut shapes and patterns into wood, stone and other hard materials
161
1.1
To cut or mark a surface by scraping it with something sharp
104
2.3
To break off a small piece of an object
62
1.2
To rub material off a surface with something hard or sharp
33
3.5
To make a small cut on the skin or a surface, often by accident
24
4.2
To make something smaller or weaker by removing small parts slowly
18
4.6
Gradually make something weaker by repeated small actions
3
3.2
Break a small piece from something by hitting or pressing it
1
5.4
To remove small pieces from something slowly by steady effort
1
3.5
Make small cuts or marks on a surface by rubbing it
Make a small scratch or chip in a painted surface
Antonyms
How Damaging
Surface Forms
Morphology
chip + at
The meaning 'to remove small pieces from the surface' is directly derivable from combining 'chip' (to break off a small piece) with the prepositional target 'at' (indicating the object being acted on); the phrase is literal and follows standard verb+preposition composition. A B1 learner who knows both constituents would therefore be able to infer the MWE's meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
Chip at comes from the picture of someone hitting a hard surface so little pieces, or chips, break off bit by bit. That's why chip at means 'to remove small pieces from the surface' or to slowly wear something away.