eat away at

Idioms

Destroy gradually, erode; also, worry one constantly. For example, The sea has been eating away at the outer banks for years, or The fact that he failed the test is eating away at him. [Early 1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Whether fast or slow, such losses eat away at the Fed’s capital and are ultimately charged to the government.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

“The Complex” works instead by painstaking accretion—or rather, by erosion, recording in granular detail all the lies and violations that eat away at the Chopras’ respectable facade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Recent trading action notwithstanding, software shares have been battered this year over fears that artificial intelligence will eat away at traditional business models.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

And high-quality, low-cost AI chips from a start-up could eat away at Nvidia’s market share and margin.

From Barron's • Dec. 18, 2025

Flames eat away at the roof, and smoke billows from the windows of the barbershop next door.

From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023