wear off
phrasal verb
wore off; worn off; wearing off; wears off
: to gradually decrease, disappear, or stop
The painkillers wore off after a couple of hours.
The shine on the leather will wear off pretty quickly.
After you drive a new car for a while, the novelty wears off.
Examples of wear off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Well, the shine seems to have worn off of these operations, as dress codes have relaxed further, and office towers stand empty.
—
Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2024
In the afternoons, when Lindsay’s Ativan wore off, Pat would find her rocking back and forth on the living-room couch, her heart racing.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
The finish can wear off over time and break more easily due to water damage.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2024
Over time, the nervous system can adapt to this constant stimulation and its effects can wear off.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wear off 
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.
Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2024
In the afternoons, when Lindsay’s Ativan wore off, Pat would find her rocking back and forth on the living-room couch, her heart racing.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
The finish can wear off over time and break more easily due to water damage.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2024
Over time, the nervous system can adapt to this constant stimulation and its effects can wear off.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wear off
Dictionary Entries Near wear off
Cite this Entry
“Wear off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wear%20off. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share