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

Russia’s heavy bombardment of the power grid before winter sets in has been an annual feature of the war, aiming to wear down Ukraine’s appetite for the fight by denying civilians heating and running water. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

As plastics wear down to microscopic sizes, their surface-to-volume ratio increases dramatically. — Payal Dhar, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026

Russia has used attacks on energy facilities in order to deny Ukrainian civilians power, heat and running water during the war, hoping to wear down public support for Ukraine's response to Moscow's full-scale invasion. — Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026

In the second half, as the Nittany Lions defense wore down, King Miller and Waymond Jordan took over, including salting away the game on the final drive in the fourth quarter. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 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