wear away
phrasal verb
wore away; worn away; wearing away; wears away
: to gradually disappear or to cause (something) to gradually disappear or become thinner, smaller, etc., because of use
The paint on the sign had worn away.
Even a trickle of water will eventually wear rock away.
—often used as (be) worn awayThe table's finish was worn away.
Examples of wear away in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Deep time, Earth time, captures the entire process of erosion, until the rock is finally worn away.
—
Aminatta Forna, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2024
Frequent stomach upset in which the stomach acid is regurgitated and passes into your mouth and over your teeth can gradually wear away your tooth enamel.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 31 July 2024
Much of the stock’s original finish was worn away, leaving patches of unprotected French walnut that were soaking up water like a thirsty blotter.
—Jim Carmichel, Outdoor Life, 25 July 2024
This is not to be confused with gold plating which results in a very thin layer that wears away easily.
—David Flett, Robb Report, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for wear away 
Aminatta Forna, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2024
Frequent stomach upset in which the stomach acid is regurgitated and passes into your mouth and over your teeth can gradually wear away your tooth enamel.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 31 July 2024
Much of the stock’s original finish was worn away, leaving patches of unprotected French walnut that were soaking up water like a thirsty blotter.
—Jim Carmichel, Outdoor Life, 25 July 2024
This is not to be confused with gold plating which results in a very thin layer that wears away easily.
—David Flett, Robb Report, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for wear away
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wear away.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near wear away
Cite this Entry
“Wear away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wear%20away. Accessed 26 Aug. 2024.
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