wear thin

Idioms  

1. Be weakened or diminished gradually, as in My patience is wearing thin . [Late 1800s]

2. Become less convincing, acceptable, or popular, as in His excuses are wearing thin . [First half of 1990s] Both usages transfer the thinning of a physical object, such as cloth, to nonmaterial characteristics.

---

Example Sentences

The arguments about the past may wear thin.

From BBC

But the “companies are just better” excuse starts to wear thin when the gold standard of valuation enters the discussion.

From The Wall Street Journal

It wore thin when the likes of Ipswich and Leicester were leaving north London with three points.

From BBC

"Its rapid expansion in recent years has sparked concerns that its 'exclusive' label was wearing thin."

From BBC

This year, as public patience wears thin, the city is trying a different tack: a PR campaign to gloss up the public image of lovebugs.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• erode
• frazzle
• unravel
• wear away