wear away

verb

wore away; worn away; wearing away; wears away

: to gradually disappear or to cause (something) to gradually disappear or become thinner, smaller, etc., because of use

The paint on the sign had worn away.

Even a trickle of water will eventually wear rock away.

—often used as (be) worn away

The table's finish was worn away.

Examples of wear away in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Then writing became my job in my mid-20s, and that professionalism wore away any playfulness that was left in reading. — Maggie Shipstead, Longreads, 27 Oct. 2026

That’s why enamel can’t heal the way skin or bone can, and why your body can’t replace any part that wears away or erodes. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026

When new, concrete possesses a thin, temporarily protective layer that, if not maintained, will wear away, exposing the interior, which gradually crumbles. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Capsules commonly carry ablative shields made from materials designed to char and gradually wear away. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for wear away

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway