eat away at

present singular third person eats away at · participle present eating away at · past ate away at · participle past eaten away at

1. transitiveTo erode.

   The river is eating away at the river bank.

   1 more example

   The battery acid ate away at the metal until a large hole appeared.

2. transitiveTo consume or use up, erode or wear away gradually.

   The expenses ate away at our profits.

3. transitiveTo cause to feel uneasy, troubled, worried, guilty, or vexed; to bother about something.

   Not confessing that I had stolen the money ate away at me until I could no longer sleep.

   Synonyms: devour