to keep breaking small pieces off sth :
He was chipping away at the stone.
( figurative )
They chipped away at the power of the government (= gradually made it weaker) .
to keep breaking small pieces off sth :
He was chipping away at the stone.
( figurative )
They chipped away at the power of the government (= gradually made it weaker) .
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary. Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне. 2005