hack away

verb

To make progress on a difficult problem; to continue trying.

“to hack away at the tough roots of a tree”

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Meanings

verbhack away (third-person singular simple present hacks away, present participle hacking away, simple past and past participle hacked away)

present singular third person hacks away · participle present hacking away · participle past hacked away · past hacked away

  1. ambitransitiveTo make progress on a difficult problem; to continue trying.
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hack, away.

    to hack away at the tough roots of a tree

Cite this entry
APA

hack away. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hack%20away

MLA

“hack away.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hack%20away. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hack away,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hack%20away.

Source: hack away on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.