wear off

phrasal verb

wore off; worn off; wearing off; wears off
: to gradually decrease, disappear, or stop
The painkillers wore off after a couple of hours.
The shine on the leather will wear off pretty quickly.
After you drive a new car for a while, the novelty wears off.

Examples of wear off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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After a full school day — and as Ethan’s medication began to wear off — the shift from playful to overwhelmed could happen in seconds. Mayo Clinic News Network, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026 Her first ensemble also came with a sheer cape, worn off the shoulders. Hannah Malach, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026 Per Nielsen, last weekend’s NFL deliveries were up 13% versus the 2025 numbers, and while some of that improvement may be chalked up to the recent upgrade in its ratings-gathering methodology, there’s no reason to believe the magic will suddenly wear off during the divisional round. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 16 Jan. 2026 The taint of being part of the cheating 2017 Astros has worn off over the years, and Cubs fans are banging the drum for Bregman’s arrival, excited to have an offensive upgrade from Matt Shaw, who can still learn a lot from playing multiple positions and watching from the bench. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wear off

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Cite this Entry

“Wear off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wear%20off. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.

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