wasting asset

noun

1. an unreplaceable business asset of limited life, such as a coal mine or an oil well

Example Sentences

“They have no reason to trade that chit in now, especially at a time where U.S. leverage is a wasting asset, and they believe they’re winning on the battlefield. And Trump has committed to a drawdown of forces regardless, so why would the Taliban offer up a cease-fire now?”

From Seattle Times

Vitale whispered to me, in effect, “Get this book out fast. He is a wasting asset.”

From The New Yorker

It is always possible to quibble with the details of a peace process or peace deal, but here is the hard reality: U.S. leverage in Afghanistan is a wasting asset.

From Washington Post

After all, gala-dinner seats are a wasting asset: If you don’t sell them by the night of the dinner, they’re worthless.

From Slate

Mr. Terry said that the Old Post Office’s “historic integrity has been restored, and the wasting asset is now being put to productive use.”

From New York Times