wear away
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle away
Meanings
Erode by use or time
Why “away”? Something slowly becomes weaker until it is gone.
“The lettering had worn away on the sign.”
“The paint wore away on the door handle.”
Don't confuse with
Wear away means erode by use or time. Wear through means make a hole in something by friction or long use.
Test yourself
“The lettering had worn away on the sign.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
wear through
A contrast learners often mix up
Make a hole in something by friction or long use
chip away
Same away pattern: fading
Gradually reduce something a little at a time
die away
Same away pattern: fading
Lose intensity until silent
drift away
Same away pattern: fading
Slip out of awareness slowly; Gradually lose contact with a person or group
eat away
Same away pattern: fading
Gradually destroy something by erosion or worry
ebb away
Same away pattern: fading
Gradually weaken or recede
explain away
Same away pattern: fading
Give reasons that make a problem seem less serious
fade away
Same away pattern: fading
Gradually become less visible, audible or strong
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “wear away” in Sink In
Drill “wear away” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
