wear down

British  

verb

1. to consume or be consumed by long or constant wearing, rubbing, etc

2. to overcome or be overcome gradually by persistent effort

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wear down Idioms  

1. Diminish, weaken, or tire by relentless pressure, as in The heels of these shoes are quite worn down, or Her constant nagging about getting a new car wore down his resistance. [First half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Lawyers representing immigrants in prolonged detention say the government is keeping people locked up in hopes of wearing down their clients so they abandon their fight to remain in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

George Russell's Mercedes was disqualified from victory in Belgium last season for being underweight - partly because the underfloor wore down more than the team expected.

From BBC

Iowa is all about controlling the ball, grinding the clock and wearing down opposing defenses.

From Los Angeles Times

The cognitive labor of constant rebuttal — the fatigue of knowing and re-knowing the same facts — slowly wears down public reasoning.

From Salon

Kyiv says the strikes are primarily aimed at wearing down its civilian population.

From Barron's