wear down
Britishverb
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to consume or be consumed by long or constant wearing, rubbing, etc
-
to overcome or be overcome gradually by persistent effort
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.
She was rusty, and she appeared to wear down physically by the end, but she wasn’t embarrassingly slow or off with her timing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
The time it took Liverpool to wear down Newcastle over striker Alexander Isak's deal last summer is fresh in the mind.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
But today, as A.I. widgets ooze through every crack of our digital lives, our reflexive outrage at the overreach is starting to wear down.
From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2026
As mitochondria naturally wear down over time, protecting them could help older adults to fight infections and stay healthier.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2025
Eventually, the Fifteens began to wear down the younger boys and to find the seams in the Thirteens’ defense.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
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.
