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 The atmosphere hoped to galvanise the players, so clearly depleted of its depth and strength. Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2025 Oregon’s receiver corps was further depleted when Jurrion Dickey was suspended indefinitely during preseason camp. Anne M. Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025 Trump’s 2024 reëlection PAC received ten million dollars from the multinational conglomerate British American Tobacco, which farms an especially polluting, soil-depleting, and pesticide-intensive crop, and which has been sued for profiting from child labor. Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2025 The impact on consumers is expected to become more pronounced later in the year as companies’ existing inventory is depleted. Anne D’innocenzio, Twin Cities, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deplete
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deplete
Verb
  • Add to this poor emotional literacy, a lack of transparency, back-to-back meetings and the energy-draining complexity of navigating competing priorities.
    Sandro da Silva, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Reopening is dependent on how well the area drains.
    Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • His team accused Whatley of distorting the facts to cover for his support of federal policies that reduced funding for local police.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Valentino has been streamlining its wholesale channel, reduced by about 20 percent in 2024, a strategy that continued in 2025 and that is expected to impact its year-end performance.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Smoke remains visible near Patterson Bluff and Dinkey Creek as fuels continue to consume in the fire perimeter.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Conversely, consuming healthy amounts of iron and vitamin D was associated with hair growth.
    Brian Mastroianni, Health, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This risk decreases as the storm moves away.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2025
  • As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Ford dropped it from the Explorer’s retail lineup, but continues to offer it in police vehicles, which benefit from its ability to power AC and other accessories without running the engine when parked, as patrol vehicles often spend lots of time doing.
    Mark Phelan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • California’s legal fight to get those funds back–which hadn’t been spent–will take months if not years to resolve.
    Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • With all other options seemingly exhausted, Una and Spock decide to take another path by getting in touch with their crewmates’ katras, roughly the Vulcan term for the soul, though the Vulcans would probably not want to use that term.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Jones remained on Ohio's death row for decades, exhausting most of his appeals, until Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Wende Cross overturned his murder conviction, freed him from prison and granted him a new trial two years ago.
    Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The rugged Renegade Evo leather boots sport a soft, shock-absorbing midsole layered over grippy Vibram rubber for a comfortable, slip-free experience on the trail.
    Alice Bennett, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The glossy marketing doesn't include a footnote about trust funds, family support or the ability to absorb year-over-year losses that would devastate most working families.
    Elle Wang, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The wildfire has been burning on private land.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The Jets also failed twice to convert on two-point conversions, once in the first half (Braelon Allen was stuffed) and again in the fourth quarter — after needlessly burning a timeout, Fields forced a throw to Wilson, surrounded by three defensive backs, in the back right corner of the end zone.
    Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deplete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deplete. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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