wear and tear

noun

Definition 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

But Canada’s space agency has noticed some wear and tear on the mechanisms over time, and one of the latches actually failed in fall 2017. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "SpaceX is sending an AI robot ‘crew member’ to join the astronauts on the space station," 28 June 2018 The researchers also presented a number of possible tactics to counteract travel’s wear and tear on the body and mind. — Sy Mukherjee, Fortune, "All That Business Travel May Be Making You Physically and Mentally Sick, Study Says," 15 June 2018 The glove reduces the wear and tear on your finger and will make cleanup easier when you're done. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "How to Caulk Your Bathtub," 20 Feb. 2018 The gritty wear and tear of lives lived on concrete may have been all that defined these faceless junkies to the casual passerby. — Woman's Day, "Why I Abandoned Tough Love Instead of My Child," 1 July 2016 The actual cash value is the replacement cost value, less depreciation for physical wear and tear. — Staff Report, Houston Chronicle, "Understand what your flood insurance policy covers before hurricane season," 23 May 2018 Federal investigations discovered cracks from wear and tear in the fan blade that failed in the Southwest flight, which hastened the need for inspections. — Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, "FAA hastens inspections to focus on oldest 737 engines, after Southwest engine failure," 16 May 2018 The ball of this ball-and-socket joint had been flattened by wear and tear, and its no-longer-smooth surface was now in direct contact with the bony cup of the socket. — Lisa Sanders, New York Times, "The Patient Had Pain When He Walked, but There Was a More Telling Change," 27 June 2018 Additionally, the car is expected to be returned at the end of the lease with only normal wear and tear. — USA TODAY, "New-car shoppers: Brace yourselves for higher costs, longer loans," 19 Apr. 2018

These 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.