What 8 letter word can have a letter taken away and it still makes a word. take another letter away and it still makes a word. keep on doing that until you have one letter left - that is still a word. what is the 8 letter what are the other smaller words?

The word in question is "starting." Taking away the second "t" gives "staring." Next, taking away the "a" gives "string," and taking away the "r" gives "sting." Further, dropping the second "t" gives "sing." Next, removing the "g" leads to "sin," the "s" gives "in," and finally taking away the "n" leaves the word "I."