eat away at something—destroy smth. gradually:
- Attempts have been made to stop the Sphinx from eroding even more. The blowing sands in the desert are gradually eating away at it.
eat away something—
1. destroy smth. by eating:
- The monkeys had eaten away most of the mangroves, and the only ones that remained were shielded by steel cages.
2. destroy smth. by chemical action:
- Structures such as bridges, buildings, and monuments are also at risk, as they can be literally eaten away by the acid.