SINCE 1828
wear and tear
nounDefinition of wear and tear
: the loss, injury, or stress to which something is subjected by or in the course of use
especially
: normal depreciation
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Examples of wear and tear in a Sentence
my favorite jeans finally succumbed to wear and tear and had to be replaced
Recent Examples on the Web
Westbrook turns 31 in November, carrying years of wear and tear on his body as a result of his max-effort style. — Jeremy Woo, SI.com, "Paul George and Russell Westbrook Trades Could Create the Perfect Thunder Rebuild," 8 July 2019 The bumper-to-bumper warranty of four years or 50,000 miles, with roadside assistance, also covers powertrain components with some exclusions for normal wear and tear items. — Mark Maynard, San Diego Union-Tribune, "2019 Maserati Ghibli S Q4: from savior to the sidelines," 7 July 2019 He will be spared a month’s worth of wear and tear and should be rested and ready to bolster the offense in Week 5. — Jim Mcbride, BostonGlobe.com, "Who replaces Gronkowski? Here are the Patriots’ possibilities," 24 June 2019 Thirty years of wear and tear on the monument began to take its toll, and by 2005, the Town of Highland figured out a way to keep the monument looking good. — Michelle L. Quinn, Post-Tribune, "Flag Lady remembered for giving Northwest Indiana one of its most enduring monuments," 14 June 2019 For some children, the wear and tear of stress on their tiny, fast-changing bodies can become toxic, impairing critical cognitive and emotional foundations. — Jenny Anderson, Quartz, "The scientific effort to protect babies from trauma before it happens," 22 June 2019 In California, the Coastal Commission has rejected permits to build new seawalls, or even repair existing ones, arguing that the structures themselves hasten erosion by preventing the normal wear and tear of bluffs needed to sustain beaches. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Paying the toll on sea level rise," 20 June 2019 Another thing Kerr has said repeatedly is that the wear and tear of five straight seasons of fighting all the way to the Finals take a toll. — Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, "For Warriors, is this the end of a dream or just a rude interruption?," 13 June 2019 The Balenciaga Motorcycle bag was formulated for the real deal; it was created for wear and tear. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "Why the Balenciaga Motorcycle Bag Is My First Love," 27 May 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wear and tear.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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