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
Khamenei may bet that Israel doesn’t have the capacity, stamina or will to maintain a war of attrition with Iran over the long term and that the longer the missile exchanges go on, the more political pressure Netanyahu will feel to come to the table.
—
Daniel Depetris, Twin Cities, 20 June 2025
Now, Israelis face yet another grinding, dangerous war of attrition, with no time limits and no clear end.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 16 June 2025
But the chief reason was the attrition in the rotation and ensuing workload that led to the bullpen with MLB’s best ERA (2.84) on July 6 to have its seventh-worst ERA (4.50) the rest of the way.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2025
Another war of attrition in the fourth, until the seventh game of that set—when Sinner, with impeccable touch and poise, broke Alcaraz’s serve at love, setting him up to serve out the match.
—Corey Seymour, Vogue, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for attrition
Daniel Depetris, Twin Cities, 20 June 2025
Now, Israelis face yet another grinding, dangerous war of attrition, with no time limits and no clear end.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 16 June 2025
But the chief reason was the attrition in the rotation and ensuing workload that led to the bullpen with MLB’s best ERA (2.84) on July 6 to have its seventh-worst ERA (4.50) the rest of the way.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2025
Another war of attrition in the fourth, until the seventh game of that set—when Sinner, with impeccable touch and poise, broke Alcaraz’s serve at love, setting him up to serve out the match.
—Corey Seymour, Vogue, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for attrition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attrition
erosion
Noun
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Now, with the erosion impacting many Southern California beaches, including Lower Trestles, buildings are set behind the access road, Stapelberg noted.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
19 June 2025
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This national recognition of the evils of slavery comes during a significant backlash against teaching American history, as well as an erosion of other civil rights, namely a rollback of voting rights in places that have high populations of Black voters.—
Jenny Singer,
Glamour,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Attrition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attrition. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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