wear down

verb

wore down; worn down; wearing down; wears down

transitive verb

: to weary and overcome by persistent resistance or pressure

Examples of wear down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Naturally, over time, the materials inside our mattress will compress under the weight, shift or wear down, all of which can ultimately lead to poor spinal alignment and compromised sleep positioning. —Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026

Her long nails were painted cherry red to match the bandana, and her signature blonde hair was worn down in her usual style. —Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026

Despite being a spindly 180 pounds, he has not been worn down by the rigors of the Big 10 or the NCAA tournament, having scored in double figures in every game since the calendar turned to 2026. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026

Plastic packaging and cookware are common sources of microplastics in the home and are prone to releasing the particles when they’re worn down or exposed to heat. —Erika Edwards, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wear down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown