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 Unlike the Yellow Sun near planet Earth, Red Suns deplete Kryptonians' abilities. —EW.com, 16 July 2025 Love Island became more about exploring everyone possible until the options were depleted (maybe also a reflection of real world dating). —Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 15 July 2025 The basalt is a stand-in for both early Earth and soil that has been depleted by factors such as years of growing a single crop. —Alina Hartounian, NPR, 7 July 2025 He then was cut following his third training camp with the team, joined the New York Giants’ practice squad before being called back to Carolina after starting injuries temporarily depleted the 2024 team. —Charlotte Observer, 7 July 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
  • The answer is to stop dating men who drain your brilliance, and to start dating as the woman who chooses herself first.
    — Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
  • Several of Yazan’s four older siblings also looked thin and drained.
    — Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
Definition of drain
Verb
  • Do not follow large vehicles closely - Large vehicles like trucks or buses can create a spray of water that can reduce your visibility.
    — KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2025
  • Studies have shown that matcha can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
    — Michiko Tomioka, CNBC, 26 July 2025
Definition of reduce
Verb
  • Good Culture took advantage of its own viral moment with an ad campaign embracing the various ways of preparing and consuming its product.
    — Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN Money, 26 July 2025
  • And each switch requires the brain to reorient itself, which consumes mental energy and slows overall performance, Dr. Schiff explains.
    — Noma Nazish, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
Definition of consume
Verb
  • This would decrease in the following months to reach a low of 41 percent in April.
    — Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
  • The enhanced subsidies started during the COVID-19 pandemic under the Biden administration and helped dramatically decrease the cost of premiums for these plans.
    — Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 18 July 2025
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • The low-budget indie production, which Zhou plans to direct, is scheduled to begin production in October and spend about three weeks filming.
    — Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 25 July 2025
  • Soliman spent about four years at Cincinnati Children's, first arriving in the United States in 2014 after being persecuted in his native Egypt for work in support of freelance journalists.
    — Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 25 July 2025
Definition of spend
Verb
  • Ferrell, who contended that their father wanted to be cremated, ultimately agreed to a settlement, reportedly after exhausting nearly $100,000 in legal fees and running out of funds to continue the fight.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 July 2025
  • The goal is to exhaust the activist organization’s resources and force them to shut down.
    — Marianne Krasny, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Definition of exhaust
Verb
  • The mineral is used as a physical barrier sitting on top of the skin (unlike chemical sunscreen, which absorbs into the skin), providing broad-spectrum protection against sun damage immediately after application.
    — Essence, Essence, 22 July 2025
  • Some of that tariff cost will be passed on to consumers, and some will be absorbed by U.S. tomato importers, Badillo said.
    — Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 22 July 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
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Cite this Entry

“Deplete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deplete. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of deplete for Spanish Speakers

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