deplete

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 Trump has argued steep tariffs are needed to combat the nation's growing trade deficit and boost U.S. domestic manufacturing that has depleted in recent decades. Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025 Related Articles Warriors outlast depleted Pelicans in Curry’s return from injury Warriors lose more than Butler’s Miami homecoming game The two losses have knocked the Warriors back into the play-in tournament in the Western Conference standings. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025 Ignoring emotions depletes the body of physical energy, much like running a marathon without refueling. Laurel Donnellan, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025 The authority’s rate stabilization fund has been substantially depleted to soften rate increases earlier in the pandemic and during the last two years. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deplete
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deplete
Verb
  • Payne drained a 3-pointer the next time down the floor to tie the game, 98-98.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
  • However, much of this rain will eventually still drain down across the lower Mississippi River Valley, keeping the Mississippi and other nearby rivers in the region elevated for at least the next several days.
    Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Standardization can also reduce due diligence burdens.
    The Sorenson Impact Institute, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Higher temperatures may also reduce the sugar content of maple sap, meaning producers will need to collect and boil more sap to produce the same quantities of syrup.
    Nina Foster, JSTOR Daily, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Melissa tells Shauna that, after learning about adult Natalie’s death on the grounds of Lottie’s doomed cult, she became consumed with guilt and paranoia; after all, her own wife doesn’t know that Melissa knew her mother, let alone probably witnessed her death.
    Abby Monteil, Them., 28 Mar. 2025
  • In the hospitality sector, large hotels consume significantly more energy due to extensive facilities like multiple restaurants, conference centers, and recreational areas, which drive higher energy usage and waste production.
    Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • And the over-all number of abortions in the U.S. may eventually decrease as a result of Dobbs.
    Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • On the other hand, just 5 percent said tariffs would decrease prices in the short term, and 30 percent said the policy would lower prices in the long term.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Ripp is originally a linebacker but spent parts of last year playing edge.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Consumers have been optimizing their spending for years, Thomas said, by making smart decisions to have the ability to still spend, particularly on discretionary items.
    Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • They will be exhausted after Grandma wrangling for 4 hours.
    Erin Clack, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Officers must make life-or-death decisions while exhausted, both physically and emotionally.
    Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • This form of creatine is less bioavailable than creatine monohydrate, meaning your body doesn't absorb it as well.
    Jillian Kubala, Health, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Because when so many Americans are tightening grocery budgets, scaling back meals, and absorbing the daily drip of scarcity, a pass that promises a burger a day doesn’t feel indulgent.
    Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
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

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Cite this Entry

“Deplete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deplete. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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