wear in

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle in

Meanings

1

Use new shoes or clothes until they fit or feel comfortable

Why “in”? Walls close around something. What is in is held inside.

He's wearing in his new boots.
He's using his new boots until they feel comfortable.
I am wearing in these stiff shoes.
I am using these stiff shoes until they feel comfortable.

Don't confuse with

wear inwear out

Wear in means use new shoes or clothes until they fit or feel comfortable. Wear out means become unusable through use.

Test yourself

He's wearing in his new boots. What does it mean?

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Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

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