wear 1 of 2

verb

ˈwer How to pronounce wear (audio)
Definition of wearnext
1
as in to erode
to damage or diminish by continued friction all that walking every day wore the soles of my shoes very quickly

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2
as in to kill
to use up all the physical energy of the job of running their own business wears them sometimes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to tolerate
British to put up with (something painful or difficult) her marriage is so bad—I don't know how she wears it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wear

2 of 2

noun

1
as in corrosion
the result of long and hard use after several years, the carpet was finally showing wear

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clothes
covering for the human body the latest in fashionable wear

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wear
Verb
The weather service said people should take precautions, like drinking plenty of water and wearing lightweight, light-colored clothing. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026 Cahalan says his children still wear the hats and fleeces a year later. — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Noun
The heat of those subtropical climates, combined with the more modest dress of the era, made madras a natural choice for vacation wear. — Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 This serves to protect the printhead and simplify the user experience, while reducing operational wear. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wear
  1. erode
  2. kill
  3. tolerate
  4. corrosion
  5. clothing
  6. fray
  7. tire
  8. endure
Verb
  • Young people say the scandals have jeopardized their futures and eroded trust in the education system.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • The American military needs to be ready to defend our country and win any fight that comes our way, but corruption and corporate capture within the Defense Department are eroding that critical readiness.
    — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of erode
Verb
  • Two people were killed and at least five others were injured in a shooting at Seattle Center on Sunday night as the civic center complex hosted a major food festival.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 27 July 2026
  • On Saturday night, Fort Worth police shot and killed another suspect who pulled a gun on officers following a short car chase that ended near the I-35W service road on the city’s far south side, Garcia said.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 July 2026
Definition of kill
Verb
  • The Steamfitters were staging protests outside the Pfizer site, accusing the MetroLoft — which employs a mix of union and nonunion contractors — of building on the cheap and tolerating unsafe work conditions.
    — Andrew Rice, Curbed, 23 July 2026
  • The remaining mainstream buyers, who are far more price-sensitive and less willing to tolerate the inconveniences of electric vehicles, aren’t gobbling up the technology.
    — Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of tolerate
Noun
  • The stove is made from stainless steel, a durable, heat- and corrosion-resistant material often used in outdoor equipment.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
  • Tech firms are now addressing this blind spot, deploying AI to analyze vast backlogs of inspection photos and notes, identifying defects like corrosion.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of corrosion
Noun
  • Drinking plenty of water even when not thirsty and wearing lightweight, light-colored clothing can help.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026
  • Nevertheless, Lowe represented the Fabians as a deeply sinister fifth column because their logo was once a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
    — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026
Definition of clothing
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the goals of the war have frayed and multiplied, with the United States now putting out fires of its own making.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
  • This is true for the reasons outlined above (lack of safety features and fraying cords), but also because the bulbs get extremely hot.
    — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 17 July 2026
Definition of fray
Verb
  • In other words, an evening session does not just tire you out.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 23, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
  • The game slows not only because bodies tire more quickly, but because players begin pacing themselves earlier — conserving energy for the moments that matter most.
    — Alan McCall, New York Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of tire
Verb
  • Despite Venezuela’s petroleum-rich reserves, its citizens have endured extreme poverty, food insecurity and political instability for decades.
    — Syra Ortiz-Blanes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • If Republicans pressed ahead with a potpourri of government spending to shore up shuttered agencies, vulnerable incumbents would have to endure two unlimited Senate vote-a-ramas.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of endure

Phrases Containing wear

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weapons
wear
wearables
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Cite this Entry

“Wear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wear. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wear

Nglish: Translation of wear for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wear

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