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wear and tear

or wear-and-tear

[ tair ]
/ tɛər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR wear and tear ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

damage or deterioration resulting from ordinary use; normal depreciation.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!
Question 1 of 10
Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.
Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
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Origin of wear and tear

First recorded in 1660–70

Words nearby wear and tear

weaponize, weaponry, weapons carrier, weapons of mass destruction, wear, wear and tear, wear another hat, wear down, wear off, wear one's heart on one's sleeve, wear out
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to wear and tear

depletion, erosion, depreciation, attrition, consumption, dissipation, decrement, ablation, overuse, weathering

Example sentences from the Web for wear and tear

British Dictionary definitions for wear and tear

wear and tear

noun

damage, depreciation, or loss resulting from ordinary use
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

Idioms and Phrases with wear and tear

wear and tear

Damage and deterioration resulting from ordinary use and exposure, as in This sofa shows a lot of wear and tear; we should replace it. [Second half of 1600s]

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