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Definition of deplete
depleted
;depleting
transitive verb
1 : to empty of a principal substance The lake was depleted of water. depleting the country of its natural resources
2 : to lessen markedly in quantity, content, power, or value deplete our life savings their depleted resources
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Examples of deplete in a Sentence
Activities such as logging and mining deplete our natural resources.
We completely depleted our life savings when we bought our new house.
Recent Examples of deplete from the Web
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Factions still dominated camps across the West Bank, the PA security forces were diminished, and the governing bodies were depleted or nonexistent.
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Because the workers are the ones that move beams and heavy materials, the impact on construction projects will become greater with each passing day, as those materials are depleted.
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Budig added that the repayment might be accomplished by using ticket facility fees or by some other method if the contingency budget is depleted.
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Also, anything that depletes the body of fluid can increase the risk of fainting.
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Injuries have depleted the squad, with midfielders Alan Dzagoev and Roman Zobnin missing out, along with forward Artyom Dzyuba.
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Perhaps more important, Uber is under incredible pressure to boost employee morale and stanch an executive exodus that has left the company’s leadership ranks dangerously depleted.
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Moran said he was swayed by a private meeting with DeVos before the confirmation, but repeatedly asserted his opposition to school vouchers, something DeVos supports, on the grounds that vouchers would deplete resources from rural public schools.
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But as those deposits are depleted and high-grade copper becomes tougher to find, firms such as Rio have been compelled to mine deeper underground. ...
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deplete'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
The de- prefix often means "do the opposite of", so deplete means the opposite of "fill". Thus, for example, a kitchen's food supplies can be rapidly depleted by hungry teenagers. But deplete often suggests something more serious. Desertions can deplete an army; layoffs can deplete an office staff; and too much time in bed can rapidly deplete your muscular strength.
Origin and Etymology of deplete
Latin depletus, past participle of deplēre, from de- + plēre to fill — more at full
Synonym Discussion of deplete
DEPLETE Defined for English Language Learners
deplete
playDefinition of deplete for English Language Learners
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: to use most or all of (something important) : to greatly reduce the amount of (something)
DEPLETE Defined for Kids
deplete
playDefinition of deplete for Students
depleted
;depleting
: to reduce in amount by using up The soil was depleted of minerals.
Word Root of deplete
The Latin word plēre, meaning “to fill,” gives us the root ple. Words from the Latin plēre have something to do with filling or being full. Anything replete with something is full of that particular thing or quality. Something complete is totally full and finished. To deplete is to lessen the amount of something that was once full. A supplement is something that fills in something that is missing.
Medical Dictionary
deplete
playMedical Definition of deplete
depleted
;depleting
: to empty (as the blood vessels) of a principal substance a body depleted by excessive blood loss tissues depleted of vitamins
Learn More about deplete
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See words that rhyme with deplete Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for deplete Spanish Central: Translation of deplete Nglish: Translation of deplete for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of deplete for Arabic speakers
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