DEPLETE Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

deplete

verb

di-ˈplēt

Definition of deplete

as in to drain

to make complete use of miners depleted the vein of copper ore after only a few months

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to reduce

to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent disease and battlefield casualties had depleted troop strength to dangerously low levels

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 According to the 2026 trustees’ report, those reserves will be depleted in 2033. — David McMillin,dan Avery, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 Shipley is the latest Eagles player to suffer an injury in a season that's depleted the roster, especially the running back room. — Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 The Social Security Trustees project that the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, which pays retirement and survivor benefits, will deplete its reserves in the fourth quarter of 2032 under current law. — Ray R. Harris, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026 Current and former officials say that has left the division shorthanded—depleted of talent, expertise and basic manpower. — Ryan Lucas, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deplete

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deplete

Verb

Flash flooding is of greatest concern in the Jonas Ridge, Ginger Cake Acres and Pisgah National Forest areas, along with streams and waterways that drain toward Lake James, Burke County officials said.

— Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
On the ground floor, outside the main building, a humanoid was flat on its back after draining its battery during a demo.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

Sullivan touted his Bycatch Reduction Act, a bill intended to reduce excess fish caught by large commercial trawlers.

— Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Energy-absorbing seats are designed to manage forces transmitted to occupants during an impact, potentially reducing injury risks.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduce

Verb

Street style became a bridge between the industry and the culture consuming it, capturing a moment when fashion felt especially connected to the people and communities shaping what came next.

— Alex Badia, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
The elderly driver, consumed by guilt, signs his house over to Yu Jie and covers his medical and living costs each month.

— Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of consume

Verb

The definitive study of feedback, Avraham Kluger and Angelo DeNisi’s meta-analysis of 23,663 observations, found that over a third of feedback interventions decreased performance.

— Zaharia-Gabriel Sidere, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
These include gravitational forces, commonly known as G-forces, that increase or decrease the pressure riders feel on their bodies during rapid acceleration and deceleration.

— Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of decrease

Verb

The frontman said he was humbled by the action and was touched to spend time with members of the Minneapolis community who worked on the front lines during the ICE surge.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
OpenAI, for example, expects to spend more than $25 billion on training alone this year.

— Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

Fans care about rivalries among teams made up of students who generally progress through college and exhaust their eligibility alongside their classmates, rather than athletes whose college careers extend well beyond the traditional timeline.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Across a vast and punishing Atlantic, the voyage exhausted the patience of its crew, but never the conviction of its captain.

— Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

The house took eight years to build on the property where the couple’s previous home burned during the 2018 Woolsey fire, along with Albuquerque’s studio, archive and many of her paintings.

— Jane Horowitz, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
The wall's stonework showed signs of fire damage, while archaeologists also uncovered burned seeds and the remains of a charred wooden building nearby.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of burn

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deplaning

deplete

depleted

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“Deplete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deplete. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of deplete

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