ATTRITION Synonyms: 12 Similar and Opposite Words

attrition

noun

ə-ˈtri-shən

Definition of attrition

as in erosion

a gradual weakening, loss, or destruction took the machinery out of operation since attrition had led to the main mechanism's breaking

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of attrition For example, a recent study found that remote workers coming to the office one day a month increases productivity by 8% and cuts attrition by a third while boosting job satisfaction and improving communication. — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 29 June 2026 In an effort to turn the tables on Russia’s grinding war of attrition, Ukrainian long-range drones have for months been battering targets, including oil production and energy facilities, behind the front line and deep inside Russia. — ABC News, 26 June 2026 Ukraine's strike campaign started out earnestly in 2024 but has significantly intensified this year, helping Ukraine gain momentum in a grueling war of attrition that has persisted for more than four years since Russia's full-scale invasion. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 June 2026 Trump praises Zelensky Western officials and analysts say Ukraine’s prospects have improved after more than four years of a grueling war of attrition as its domestic development and production of cutting-edge drones pin down the bigger Russian army. — Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for attrition

Recent Examples of Synonyms for attrition

erosion

Noun

Emergency specialists warn that Venezuela lacks the institutional capacity and disaster-management infrastructure typically needed to handle a catastrophe of this scale, particularly amid years of economic collapse and institutional erosion.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
And the story told by the events of that year, and of the decades since, is the story of the slow erosion of congressional power.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026

Definition of erosion

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attributions

attrition

attritions

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“Attrition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attrition. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of attrition

noun

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