wear and tear

noun

: the loss, injury, or stress to which something is subjected by or in the course of use

especially : normal depreciation

Synonyms of wear and tear

• wear

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

Contamination, in this case, means that small grains of sand are still present in the engine, which can damage parts of the engine over time and lead to excess wear and tear. —Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 14 Nov. 2025

Reduce wear and tear caused by regular use by adding more dryer balls to larger loads and avoid overloading the dryer so dryer balls can move freely. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Nov. 2025

The study’s target was skeletal muscle progenitor cells, which descend from stem cells and eventually develop into specialized muscle cells that can repair tissue from damage or normal wear and tear. —Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2025

Service line coverage reimburses for damages caused by wear and tear, freezing, electrical malfunction and tree, roots. —Liz Knueven, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wear and tear

• aftercare
• anywhere
• billionaire
• chinaware
• debonair
• dinnerware
• disrepair
• doctrinaire
• earthenware
• everywhere
• frigidaire
• kitchenware

Kids Definition

wear and tear

noun

: the loss or damage that occurs to something in the course of normal use