as in to wear out
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Recent Examples of wear down
Excess water can wear down the glue that holds the bristles and handle together.
—
Cody Godwin, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
Recent history in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq suggests that insurgencies can wear down regular armies over time.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
If Ukraine needs to wear down the number of Russian artillery pieces, for instance, Fedorov can increase the number of points granted for destroying them.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
And as the rotation was starting to wear down, the rookies are injecting some youthful life into the mix.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wear down
Cody Godwin, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
Recent history in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq suggests that insurgencies can wear down regular armies over time.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
If Ukraine needs to wear down the number of Russian artillery pieces, for instance, Fedorov can increase the number of points granted for destroying them.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
And as the rotation was starting to wear down, the rookies are injecting some youthful life into the mix.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wear down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wear down
Verb
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Ribbed Long-sleeve Henley Dress A performance dress that’s comfortable enough to wear on a flight and cute enough to wear out to dinner?—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Nov. 2025
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Whether in a washer or just being worn, eventually clothing and linens simply wear out.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Three decades later, this international liberal order is breaking down.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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But naturally, Meredith can see right through this plan and refuses to get dragged into this mess — especially when Lisa is already starting to break down at the thought of Meredith not defending her.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wear down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wear%20down. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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