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
After over a decade of swiping for love, the initial novelty has worn off.
—
Annabel Gat, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2026
According to Harrington, lemon or citrus oil can help restore depth and shine—but only on floors where the polyurethane has worn off over time.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
By the second period’s end, Latvia’s scare had worn off.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 Feb. 2026
While the interplay of these competing atmospheres can be compelling, the overall effect loses its power as the novelty wears off.
—Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wear off
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Annabel Gat, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2026
According to Harrington, lemon or citrus oil can help restore depth and shine—but only on floors where the polyurethane has worn off over time.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
By the second period’s end, Latvia’s scare had worn off.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 Feb. 2026
While the interplay of these competing atmospheres can be compelling, the overall effect loses its power as the novelty wears off.
—Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wear off
Cite this Entry
“Wear off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wear%20off. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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