as in erosion
a gradual weakening, loss, or destruction
took the machinery out of operation since attrition had led to the main mechanism's breaking
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Recent Examples of attrition
The attrition has taken its toll but our kids are tough.
—
Dan Albano, Oc Register, 28 Oct. 2025
The attrition rate was abysmally high.
—Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
The financial news outlet reported that the cuts were discussed outside of normal attrition processes.
—James Powel, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
It’s helped create depth that the Broncos think can withstand the attrition of an NFL season.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for attrition
Dan Albano, Oc Register, 28 Oct. 2025
The attrition rate was abysmally high.
—Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
The financial news outlet reported that the cuts were discussed outside of normal attrition processes.
—James Powel, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
It’s helped create depth that the Broncos think can withstand the attrition of an NFL season.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for attrition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attrition
erosion
Noun
-
The house that burned was one small piece of a larger unraveling — the erosion not just of walls but of trust.—
Jonathan Taplin,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
-
On a remote island in the Chesapeake Bay, a deeply rooted Christian fishing community confronts the erosion of land and tradition, as their centuries-old way of life, anchored in faith, approaches a turning point.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attrition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attrition. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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