deplete

verb

di-ˈplēt How to pronounce deplete (audio)
Definition of depletenext
1
as in to drain
to make complete use of miners depleted the vein of copper ore after only a few months

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to reduce
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent disease and battlefield casualties had depleted troop strength to dangerously low levels

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word deplete distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of deplete are bankrupt, drain, exhaust, and impoverish. While all these words mean "to deprive of something essential to existence or potency," deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function.

depleting our natural resources

When is bankrupt a more appropriate choice than deplete?

Although the words bankrupt and deplete have much in common, bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse.

war had bankrupted the nation of resources

When is it sensible to use drain instead of deplete?

The synonyms drain and deplete are sometimes interchangeable, but drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence.

personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit

When can exhaust be used instead of deplete?

In some situations, the words exhaust and deplete are roughly equivalent. However, exhaust stresses a complete emptying.

her lecture exhausted the subject

In what contexts can impoverish take the place of deplete?

While in some cases nearly identical to deplete, impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness.

impoverished soil

Example Sentences

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 deplete Oxygen can be depleted in compost piles that are not aerated regularly or become waterlogged. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 May 2025 Large blue-green algae blooms can deplete the oxygen levels present in the water. —Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2025 Young expects the reliance on Lake Michigan to only grow in the coming years as other sources, such as underground aquifers, are depleted. —Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025 The trust fund for retirement benefits could be depleted by 2033, after which the system would be able to pay only 77 percent of scheduled benefits, according to a 2024 report by the Social Security Board of Trustees. —Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for deplete
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deplete
  1. drain
  2. reduce
  3. consume
  4. decrease
  5. spend
  6. exhaust
  7. absorb
  8. burn
Verb
  • Reserve forward Obi Toppin helped swing the game, draining five 3s off the bench.
    — Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 6 June 2025
  • These unnecessary burdens slow them down, drain their energy, and keep them from reaching their next level.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Definition of drain
Verb
  • With Bayern aiming to reduce their wage bill, the Wirtz signing would have come at the cost of at least an extra €20million (£16.8m, $22.7m) per year, on top of a transfer fee somewhere between €100m and €150m.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 28 May 2025
  • Their original sentences, which were 12 years and seven years, respectively, were reduced in September 2023.
    — Esther Kang, People.com, 28 May 2025
Definition of reduce
Verb
  • Soy is a common allergen, and thus the undeclared ingredient could pose a risk to those with a soy allergy who consume the product.
    — Rachel Raposas, People.com, 27 May 2025
  • For example, in 2024, China supplied 70 percent of all lithium-ion batteries consumed in the U.S.
    — Elena Bou, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Definition of consume
Verb
  • These students, many already at an educational disadvantage, are left with instability, fewer learning opportunities and decreased academic performance.
    — Lakeisha Wells Palmer, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 June 2025
  • The top three contributors to hydroplaning are: Vehicle speed - When a vehicle's speed increases, the tire-traction grip and ability to control the vehicle decreases.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2025
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • The turtle's transmitters will last two months, allowing Lang and partnering technicians to track how the turtles spend their summer.
    — Rachel Flynn, People.com, 6 June 2025
  • One-quarter of all U.S. consumers also plans to decrease spending or abstain from buying on Amazon Prime Day this summer, according to data from Akeneo.
    — Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 6 June 2025
Definition of spend
Verb
  • The visa expired in February 2023, but Soliman has not exhausted legal efforts to remain in the U.S., according to NBC.
    — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 3 June 2025
  • The object could be a white dwarf—an Earth-sized husk that remains after a star has exhausted its nuclear fuel.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 30 May 2025
Definition of exhaust
Verb
  • Some heavy metals are introduced through fertilizers and insecticides, while other heavy metals occur naturally in soil and are absorbed by plants.
    — Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
  • Many like Scooch are absorbing costs to maintain delivery schedules and customer trust. TeeTurtle, which manufactures over 80% of its product line in China, chose not to cancel or delay orders despite the tight margins.
    — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 4 June 2025
Definition of absorb
Verb
  • The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.
    — Carole Horst, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023
  • The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.
    — Neeti Mehra, Treehugger, 13 Sep. 2023
Definition of burn

Browse Nearby Words

deplaning
deplete
depleted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deplete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deplete. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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