wear down

verb

wore down; worn down; wearing down; wears down

transitive verb

: to weary and overcome by persistent resistance or pressure

Examples of wear down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Pacers are using their depth to wear down New York. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025 That slows down response times and wears down teams. Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025 But our goal is to hound the puck and wear down opponents offensively. Michael Russo, New York Times, 19 May 2025 Instead of spending money and wearing down staff to fly in and out of a country to do each inspection, officials said, the agency would combine multiple inspections into a single trip. Paula Cohen, CBS News, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for wear down

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wear down was in 1774

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Cite this Entry

“Wear down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wear%20down. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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