Does anyone know what is the meaning of the phrase "works away at the problem"?

Question

It is found in this following context:

This kind of research is necessarily a long, on-going process, which involves many people and gradually works away at the problem. Through such working together, partial answers gradually emerge.

Answer 1

yes, the term "works away" here, refers to the gradual rreducing of something by steady constant work

it might be very strictly applied to a task like moving a big pile of dirt

you might decide to work away at it, moving a little each day

in most uses in implies that you do not achieve a single full solution, but that you steadily carve the problem or task down until it is finished or is no longer a problem or a broad general solution emerges

Answer 2

It means the process of working together in a team causes slow but steady progress toward solving the problem being worked on. In the process, partial answers, not complete ones, are discovered, thereby leading the team forward to other partial answers until, possibly, the entire answer is uncovered and defined.

Answer 3

It means that people keep working at the issue at hand. It is problem solving, trying different approaches to see the effects to a situation.

Answer 4

it means 2 take time 2 look at the problem. to study tha probem so u could get the answer. 2get deep into tha problem and 2 then solve it using the information u found.

Answer 5

Think erosion, water worked away at the Grand Canyon, persistence, determination ect.

Answer 6

It generally means that it will work through the solution..and the problem will eventually be no longer

Answer 7

They work diligently on the problem.

They do not slack off, the spend a lot of time focus on the problem, working on it. They are not goof offs.

Answer 8

They are working hard to find the right answer to solve this problem.