put wear on

put wear (and tear) on (something)

To cause something to deteriorate or become damaged over time. The salt in the air puts a lot of wear on our machinery, so they require a lot more maintenance than would be normal. You can't put normal wear and tear on your car and expect your insurance to pay for it.See also: on, put, wear

put wear (and tear) on something

to cause deterioration in the state of something. (There can be various amounts of wear and tear. See the examples.) This road salt puts a lot of wear on cars. All this wave action puts too much wear and tear on the boat dock.See also: on, put, wear