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

• 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

However, in her second professional season, the wear and tear is starting to show. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025

The makeup bag is also crafted out of waterproof leather with a polyester lining, both materials that are not only flexible but also good at resisting wear and tear. —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 20 June 2025

Parts such as engines and transmissions experience extreme wear and tear as cars accumulate 200K miles. —Charles Singh, USA Today, 18 June 2025

The drift problem —although not unique to the Switch— appears mainly because of wear and tear inside the analog stick's physical mechanisms. —Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 6 June 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