| VERB | contact | wear away, whittle away, whittle down | cut away in small pieces |
|---|---|---|---|
| contact | wear away, wear off | diminish, as by friction | |
| change | wear away, erode, gnaw, gnaw at, eat at | become ground down or deteriorate |
| Meaning | cut away in small pieces. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something | |
| Synonyms | whittle away, whittle down | |
| Broader | damage | inflict damage / damage upon |
| See also | wear | go to pieces |
| Meaning | diminish, as by friction. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s something | |
| Synonym | wear off | |
| Narrower | abrade, corrade, abrase, rub down, rub off | wear away |
| Broader | remove, take, take away, withdraw | Remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract |
| See also | wear | go to pieces |
| Spanish | desgastar, erosionar, gastar | |
| Meaning | Become ground down or deteriorate. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Synonyms | erode, gnaw, gnaw at, eat at | |
| Broader | decay, crumble, dilapidate | fall into decay or ruin |
| Spanish | desgastarse, erosionarse, erosionar | |
| Catalan | corroir-se, desgastar-se, erosionar-se, erosionar | |
| Nouns | wearing away | (geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it) |
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