away at the case

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "away at the case" is not a standard expression in written English and may be unclear without context.
It could potentially be used in a legal or investigative context, but it would need additional information to clarify its meaning. Example: "The detective has been away at the case for weeks, trying to gather all the evidence needed."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

But in the months since, Mr. Dotcom and his lawyers have succeeded in chipping away at the case.

The New York Times

In the intervening years, Agent MacDonald chipped away at the case off and on, even as he juggled it with more active cases, like a large gang investigation in Yonkers.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has vowed to deport Garcia Zarate, and Trump said he'll continue to hammer away at the Steinle case as an issue in the 2020 race, whether her family supports him or not.

Vice

-- Multiple witnesses for the state have described former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky as a deviant sex predator during the first week of his child molestation trial, setting the stage for the defense on Monday to begin chipping away at the prosecutors' case, according to a veteran attorney.

Huffington Post

"You just chip away" at the prosecution's case, Ms. Haag said.

The New York Times

And did that child not have the right to defend himself from that strange man?" Through it all, though, the defense chipped away at the prosecution's case.

The New York Times

The judge in the embassy bombings case indicated yesterday that the trial was ending rapidly, even as defense lawyers continued to try to whittle away at the government's case.

The New York Times

In the October trial, Mr. Fossella's lawyers attempted to chip away at the prosecution's case by challenging the accuracy of the breath analysis machines, a tactic that has been used with varying degrees of success across the country.

The New York Times

Since he is not in prison, he will be in no hurry to go to trial; his lawyers can spend time chipping away at the government's case, hiring experts, demanding more information, and generally working to render the events of that night a little more muddy.

The New Yorker

Things got particularly iffy once iFixit started cracking away at the AirPod charging case, at which point they needed a Dremel and dental tools to get to the bottom of things.

TechCrunch

I'll sign up to buy that right away.' " Burden gazed at the case.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the context carefully; the phrase "away at the case" might be misinterpreted if the reader is not aware of the legal or investigative setting.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase "away at the case" without clear context. Because it's non-standard, readers might misunderstand your intended meaning, thinking you mean physical absence rather than dedicated effort.

Linguistic Context

The phrase's primary grammatical function is adjectival, describing a state of being occupied or involved with a "case". However, it deviates from standard English usage, making it less clear. Ludwig AI highlights its non-idiomatic nature.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Formal & Business

17%

Science

16%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "away at the case" is a non-standard expression implying someone is actively working on or investigating a case. While it appears in some news and business contexts, its usage is rare and can lack clarity. Ludwig AI points out it is non-idiomatic and might be misunderstood. Alternatives such as "working on the case" or "investigating the case" are preferable for better communication. Using more conventional phrases will ensure clarity and prevent misinterpretations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

working on the case

Replaces "away at" with the more common "working on", focusing on the effort being applied.

investigating the case

Highlights the investigative aspect of dealing with the case.

prosecuting the case

Specifically refers to the legal action of bringing a case to court.

defending the case

Focuses on the act of providing a legal defense in a case.

handling the case

Implies managing or dealing with all aspects of the case.

litigating the case

Refers to the legal process of carrying on a lawsuit.

pursuing the case

Emphasizes the continued effort to advance the case.

arguing the case

Focuses on presenting legal arguments in court.

reviewing the case

Highlights the process of examining the details of the case.

presiding over the case

Indicates the act of a judge leading the court proceedings.

FAQs

What does "away at the case" mean?

While not a standard phrase, "away at the case" can imply someone is dedicating time and effort to working on or investigating a particular legal case, though it is better to use more common phrases.

What can I say instead of "away at the case"?

You can use alternatives like "working on the case", "investigating the case", or "handling the case" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "away at the case"?

While understandable, "away at the case" is not a conventional or grammatically standard phrase. More common and clearer alternatives should be preferred for professional and formal communication.

How can I use "away at the case" in a sentence?

Although possible, it's better to avoid using "away at the case" in formal writing. Instead, consider "The lawyer is currently working on the case" for clarity.