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attrit

American  
[uh-trit] / əˈtrɪt /

verb (used with object)

attritted, attritting

  1. to wear down (an opposing military force) by numerical superiority in troops or firepower.

attrit British  
/ əˈtrɪt /

verb

  1. to wear down or dispose of gradually

  2. to kill

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of attrit

First recorded in 1750–60; back formation from attrition

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That big "attrit" has proved incredibly long and costly.

From Time Magazine Archive

"They are not trying to attrit NATO's air force as much as to neutralize its effects."

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.