chisel out
To make something by cutting it out of stone or wood with a sharp tool, or to get something by working hard for it.
Meanings
To cut or shape something from a hard material using a chisel.
"The craftsman chiseled out an intricate pattern in the stone doorway."
To obtain or create something through persistent or clever effort.
"Over decades, she chiseled out a reputation as the city's most respected architect."
(Informal, dated) To cheat or swindle someone out of something.
"He felt that his business partner had chiseled him out of his fair share of the profits."
The literal sense (sculpture, carpentry) is the most common and transparent. The figurative sense (obtaining something through effort or shrewdness) is less frequent. Also occasionally used informally to mean cheating someone out of something.
Commonly used with
Forms
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Synonyms
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