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 Another way to say this is that when that trust fund is depleted, the people who rely on Social Security for some or the bulk of their income would see a sudden 21% cut in their monthly checks in 2036. Dennis W. Jansen, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025 If we get depleted, that does nobody any good, right? Samantha Dunn, Oc Register, 11 Apr. 2025 But not until he's been completely and utterly depleted. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 11 Apr. 2025 Groundwater—another key water source—is still depleted from years of overuse and will take longer to recover. David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deplete
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deplete
Verb
  • Today's Amazon deals are built to level up your setup without draining your wallet.
    Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 1 May 2025
  • The arena goes icily silent, punctuated by some half-hearted boos as the clock drains down.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Verb
  • Answer: Your withdrawals from retirement plans won’t reduce your Social Security directly.
    Liz Weston, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025
  • The trial of estrogen alone also raised safety concerns, though both types of therapy reduced the risk of bone fractures.
    Jean Wactawski-Wende, The Conversation, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • Additionally, the study of chemical isotopes — variants of carbon and nitrogen that reflect plant or animal proteins consumed — from a bone sample taken from the mummy’s spine revealed a high-quality diet based on grain and a large proportion of meat.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
  • The consistent overproduction of milk is the reason federal dietary guidelines recommend that adults consume three cups of dairy per day, as well as why half-pint milk cartons are a mainstay of the nation’s school cafeterias.
    HubSpot, HubSpot, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • The number of Jesuits globally has steadily decreased since the 1960s, when there were more than 36,000.
    Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Weeks 5 and 9 deliberately decrease your amount of running time after several weeks of building.
    Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Trump, Biden allies divided over GDP report One crisis away from homelessness While discretionary spending is somewhat determined by priorities, income is the key factor when calculating what and where to spend.
    Rachel Barber, USA Today, 2 May 2025
  • At Alpha School, students spend just two hours a day in class, guided by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tutor.
    Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • Dominate a single platform Many entrepreneurs exhaust themselves trying to maintain presence across every social channel, newsletter platform, and podcast directory.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The gorilla could easily maim several men before being exhausted.
    Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Many smaller businesses are unable to absorb such shocks.
    Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
  • There are enough vacancies to absorb the change, meaning no staff would lose a position as a result, district officials say.
    Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 28 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 6 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on deplete

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