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sap

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word sap distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of sap are cripple, debilitate, disable, enfeeble, undermine, and weaken. While all these words mean "to lose or cause to lose strength or vigor," undermine and sap suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously.

a poor diet undermines your health
drugs had sapped his ability to think

In what contexts can cripple take the place of sap?

While the synonyms cripple and sap are close in meaning, cripple implies causing a serious loss of functioning power through damaging or removing an essential part or element.

crippled by arthritis

When can debilitate be used instead of sap?

The words debilitate and sap are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality.

the debilitating effects of surgery

When would disable be a good substitute for sap?

The words disable and sap can be used in similar contexts, but disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability.

disabled by an injury sustained at work

When might enfeeble be a better fit than sap?

While in some cases nearly identical to sap, enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness.

enfeebled by starvation

Where would weaken be a reasonable alternative to sap?

In some situations, the words weaken and sap are roughly equivalent. However, weaken may imply loss of physical strength, health, soundness, or stability or of quality, intensity, or effective power.

a disease that weakens the body's defenses

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 sap
Noun
Wait for the foliage to yellow and die back, and wear gloves; the sap can be a skin irritant. Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Mar. 2025 Sapsuckers peck a lacy pattern into the bark of certain trees, either consuming the sap that oozes out directly and/or eating the insects drawn to it. Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
Though Vancouver’s penalty killers bailed out the defence again Sunday night, all the time Vancouver spent short-handed sapped their momentum early on in the game and helped Utah build up a tremendous edge in shots and scoring chances. Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025 And a spate of terror attacks committed by migrants have sapped public confidence in the immigration system, giving the Alternative for Germany (AfD) an opening. Ido Vock, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sap
Noun
  • Alexander Smirnov was sentenced to six years in prison in January after pleading guilty to lying to his FBI handler about the Biden family's ties to a Ukrainian energy company -- in addition to a series of unrelated tax fraud charges.
    Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Charging rates are adjusted to reduce heat (energy loss) and prolong battery life (adaptive charging).
    Simon Hill, Wired News, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Just thinking about the poor suckers who had to guard her in high school makes Fudd pity them.
    Grace Raynor, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
  • These giant in-lines mimic large prey like suckers and perch.
    Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Cut Stems Back Using your bypass pruners, cut live canes back to 12 inches tall.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Green, who is Black, regularly uses a cane to walk around the Capitol and has done so for years.
    Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • That’s mathematically impossible, the Congressional Budget Office says, without cutting Medicaid, which provides health coverage to more than 70 million people.
    Mike Lillis, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Food insecurity and weakened health often create difficulty for children to focus and learn, and youths experiencing poverty are two to three times more likely to be chronically absent from school.
    Beth Swanson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Agreeing to a pick swap with the Lynx weakened the value of the pick that the Sky traded away.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
  • One by one, the sectors defect, and, eventually, the leader may weaken and their government may fall.
    Julia Angwin, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Premature removal of the plant foliage reduces plant vigor and bulb size.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Habba emerged as one of Trump’s fiercest media surrogates while one of his personal attorneys, defending the then-former president with vigor both in the courtroom and on TV.
    Ella Lee, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The Virginia high school track and field runner who was seen violently smashing her baton into an opponent's head during a relay race has spoken out about the backlash she's received, while claiming the incident was an accident.
    Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 10 Mar. 2025
  • While turning a corner during the race, Everett’s baton seriously injured fellow track star Kaelen Tucker, leaving Tucker unable to compete in the championship’s remaining events.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 10 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • So, in a different situation our strengths might be perceived as problematic.
    Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Dwyer has the speed to take the top off of defenses, but his hand strength has also been impressive.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sap. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

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