Does Chip Away At Need the Preposition At?

"Chip away at" has a grammar rule that is easy to miss. With a stated object, the phrase requires "at" and cannot be separated.

Two common mistakes cause most errors here, so check for both before sending a sentence.

Error 1: dropping "at"

If there is an object, "at" must be present. Leaving it out is a common slip because languages mark these relationships differently.

Wrong: "We need to chip away our margin."

Correct: "We need to chip away at our margin."

The fixed pattern is "chip away at + noun or noun phrase." Whenever an object appears, the phrase needs "at."

Error 2: treating it as separable

Some phrasal verbs can place their object in the middle. Both "turn the light off" and "turn off the light" are correct. However, "chip away" follows another pattern. Its object comes after the complete phrase "chip away at," not in the middle.

Wrong: "We're going to chip the backlog away."

Correct: "We're going to chip away at the backlog."

A sentence with "chip [object] away" has this word-order mistake. Use "chip away at [object]" instead. A fluent listener will probably understand the meaning, but the grammar will sound wrong.

What happens with no object at all

Not every use of the expression needs "at." Sometimes "chip away" has no object at all. This encouragement-only use appears in another guide. Without an object, "at" has nothing to connect with and does not appear.

Correct, no object: "We just have to keep chipping away."

This differs from dropping "at" before an object. In this case, there is no object, so the phrase is complete.

Why this small error matters

A missing "at" or misplaced object usually does not change the meaning. A fluent listener will probably understand you, but the grammar will still sound wrong.

The fix is simple once you know the rule. With an object, confirm that "at" is present and the object follows the complete phrase.

Practice scenarios

Practice using chip away at in these situations.

• double-checking a draft email for a missing "at" before sending
• catching a separated object ("chip the backlog away") in your own writing
• explaining the non-separable rule to a colleague who's learning the phrase
• using the encouragement-only form correctly, with no object and no "at"

Useful phrases to try.

• "We need to chip away at [the object] — not chip away [the object]."
• "That's chip away at the backlog, not chip the backlog away."
• "We just have to keep chipping away."
• "Let's double check — did that sentence drop the "at"?"

One small preposition determines whether this common expression is grammatically complete.

Check for "at" and verify the word order. Your sentence will sound natural while keeping the intended meaning.