chisel up

English

Verb

chisel up (third-person singular simple present chisels up, present participle (US) chiseling up or (UK) chiselling up, simple past and past participle (US) chiseled up or (UK) chiselled up)

1. (transitive, literally) To create by chiseling.

   He chiseled up the details on the sculpture.

2. (transitive) To cast off splinters or pieces like might be created by chiseling; to (figuratively) cause many or small weak results.

   The sight chiseled up old anxieties.

   When the car crashed into the deck, it chiseled up sharp splinters of wood.