At this point, it's just a war of attrition. Only those who are patient can survive.
Source: tatoeba (5722771)
Attrition
/əˈtɹɪʃən/
Synonyms for "attrition" (191 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (39)
Strong matches (57)
Related words (95)
gallinggranulationgranulizationgratinggrazinggriefgrindingimpairmentimpoverishmentinanitioningestionlanguishmentlesseninglevigationlimationlossmashingmitigationpenancepenitence
Show 62 more words
penitentlypolishingpoundingpowderingraspingreductionregretregretfulnessregretsregrettingrelaxationremissionremorseremorse of conscienceremorsefulnessrepentancerepiningretractionretrenchmentrubbing awayrueruthsandblastingsandingscouringscrapescrapingscratchscratchingscrubscrubbingscuffshameshamefacednessshamefastnessshamefulnessshiningshorteningshreddingshrinkageslackeningsmashingsmoothingsofteningsorrinesssorrowspendingsquanderingthinningtriturationtruncationusing upwastagewastewastefulnesswasting awayweakeningwearwear and tearwearing awaywearing downwistfulness
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abrasion, grinding, abatement, abience, ablation.
- Sentence evidence is available for attrition, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "attrition".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "attrition"
Keep "attrition" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "attrition" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "attrition", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "attrition" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
27 entriesShowing 16 of 27 words.
More specific
14 entriesCollocations
16 entriesattrition rateattrition warfareattritional impactattritional lossesattritional pressureattritional rateattritional warfareattritional wearcustomer attritioninvoluntary attritionmilitary attritionstaff attritionstudy attritionvoluntary attritionwar of attritionworkforce attrition
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
5 entriesTranslations
42 translations across 20 languages.
Bulgarian
2 entries- изтриване noun (wearing by friction)
- изтъркване noun (wearing by friction)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 磨損 /磨损 noun (wearing by friction)
Dutch
2 entries- sleet noun (wearing by friction)
- slijtage noun (wearing by friction)
Esperanto
1 entries- forfrotiĝo noun (wearing by friction)
Finnish
4 entries- hiertyminen noun (wearing by friction)
- hupeneminen noun (gradual reduction in number)
- hävikki noun (gradual reduction in number)
- kuluminen noun (wearing by friction)
French
1 entries- usure noun (wearing by friction)
German
4 entries- Abnutzung noun (wearing by friction)
- Abreibung noun (wearing by friction)
- Abrieb noun (wearing by friction)
- Abschürfung noun (wearing by friction)
Greek
1 entries- τριβή noun (wearing by friction)
Hebrew
1 entries- שחיקה noun (wearing by friction)
Hungarian
3 entries- felmorzsolódás noun (wearing by friction)
- felőrlődés noun (wearing by friction)
- kopás noun (wearing by friction)
Japanese
1 entries- 磨耗 noun (wearing by friction)
Latin
1 entries- attrītiō noun (wearing by friction)
Macedonian
1 entries- три́ење noun (wearing by friction)
Occitan
4 entries- abrasion noun (wearing by friction)
- ameniment noun (gradual reduction in number)
- amermament noun (gradual reduction in number)
- atricion noun (wearing by friction)
Portuguese
1 entries- atrito noun (wearing by friction)
Russian
3 entries- истира́ние noun (wearing by friction)
- стира́ние noun (wearing by friction)
- тре́ние noun (wearing by friction)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- habanje noun (wearing by friction)
- istiranje noun (wearing by friction)
Spanish
1 entries- abrasión noun (wearing by friction)
Swedish
2 entries- förslitning noun (wearing by friction)
- nötning noun (wearing by friction)
Turkish
1 entries- yıpratma noun (wearing by friction)
Sample sentences
12 total sentences available.
Rapid attrition in the number of employees led to an increased workload for those who remained.
Source: tatoeba (9032577)
We're fighting a war of attrition.
Source: tatoeba (9517304)
The US can't fight long wars of attrition.
Source: tatoeba (10767115)
Showing 4 of 12 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "attrition"?
Closest matches include abrasion, grinding, abatement, abience, ablation.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "attrition"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.