as in drained
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1
as in exhausted
to make complete use of
miners depleted the vein of copper ore after only a few months
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reduced
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
disease and battlefield casualties had depleted troop strength to dangerously low levels
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Recent Examples of depleted
CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
The Hornets outrebounded the Bulls 52-43 while playing with a depleted frontcourt.
—Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
After three games without a goal, to put in a performance like that, with a depleted team, was a fitting end to an uplifting year for David Moyes and his players.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Although this beautiful, resilient flowering succulent can thrive in less-than-ideal conditions for many years, eventually the soil will become depleted and unable to support the plant’s needs.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2025
The star signal caller finished the game with 139 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 12/26 passing — taking seven sacks behind the Chargers' depleted offensive line.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
The Strykers, which are in a depleted state, would need repairs, modernization, and the full development of a support and training ecosystem – a significant undertaking for a platform Poland has never operated.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Dec. 2025
The Lakers got 36 points from likely first-time All-Star Austin Reaves, with 15 of those coming on free throws, but not nearly enough from his depleted supporting cast.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
There have been different rotations, different starters, different points of attack, all performed with the same depleted roster, empty bench and aging players, a fact that hasn’t escaped Lue and the rest of the coaching staff.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 30 Nov. 2025
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Environmental experts and lawmakers say water is becoming a scarce resource as the Texas population grows, depleted by overuse, persistent dry weather, rising temperatures, aging infrastructure and water-reliant technology like data centers.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
Venezuela’s oil boom of yesteryear was also a result of light crude oil found in the oilfields of western Venezuela, which was easy to access and therefore were depleted quickly.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
In the second half of Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea, City were depleted and fatigued, desperately reaching for the finish line.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The Holiday Bowl’s financial reserves were depleted when the 2020 and 2021 games were canceled because of COVID-19.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
The Social Security Administration's primary trust fund for paying retirement benefits is expected to be depleted as early as 2032, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 21 Dec. 2025
The Bears will be severely depleted at wide receiver for Saturday's rematch with the Packers, as both Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III will be out with injuries.
—Matt Zahn, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
And when its fuel is depleted after five years of use, the entire container can be shipped back for refueling.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 18 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Charlotte outrebounded Chicago 52-43 while playing with a depleted frontcourt.
—CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
The Hornets outrebounded the Bulls 52-43 while playing with a depleted frontcourt.
—Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
After three games without a goal, to put in a performance like that, with a depleted team, was a fitting end to an uplifting year for David Moyes and his players.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Although this beautiful, resilient flowering succulent can thrive in less-than-ideal conditions for many years, eventually the soil will become depleted and unable to support the plant’s needs.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2025
The star signal caller finished the game with 139 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 12/26 passing — taking seven sacks behind the Chargers' depleted offensive line.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
The Strykers, which are in a depleted state, would need repairs, modernization, and the full development of a support and training ecosystem – a significant undertaking for a platform Poland has never operated.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Dec. 2025
The Lakers got 36 points from likely first-time All-Star Austin Reaves, with 15 of those coming on free throws, but not nearly enough from his depleted supporting cast.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
There have been different rotations, different starters, different points of attack, all performed with the same depleted roster, empty bench and aging players, a fact that hasn’t escaped Lue and the rest of the coaching staff.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 30 Nov. 2025
Verb
Years of overfishing had depleted their prey, and humans killed them for sustenance or in disputes over fish.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Environmental experts and lawmakers say water is becoming a scarce resource as the Texas population grows, depleted by overuse, persistent dry weather, rising temperatures, aging infrastructure and water-reliant technology like data centers.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
Venezuela’s oil boom of yesteryear was also a result of light crude oil found in the oilfields of western Venezuela, which was easy to access and therefore were depleted quickly.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
In the second half of Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea, City were depleted and fatigued, desperately reaching for the finish line.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The Holiday Bowl’s financial reserves were depleted when the 2020 and 2021 games were canceled because of COVID-19.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
The Social Security Administration's primary trust fund for paying retirement benefits is expected to be depleted as early as 2032, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 21 Dec. 2025
The Bears will be severely depleted at wide receiver for Saturday's rematch with the Packers, as both Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III will be out with injuries.
—Matt Zahn, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
And when its fuel is depleted after five years of use, the entire container can be shipped back for refueling.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 18 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depleted
Adjective
-
Increase heat to medium, add drained pasta; cook, stirring constantly, until a creamy sauce forms and clings to pasta, about 2 minutes.—
Elizabeth Mervosh,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
-
What starts as small talk always ends up in heated debates that leave me feeling drained and resentful.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is not the primary custodian of police or court records and is often asked to assist only after survivors and attorneys have exhausted other avenues.—
Stephen Martin,
Oklahoma Watch,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Advertisement Venezuelans are exhausted after 26 years of Chavismo.—
Boris Muñoz,
Time,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While many areas are seeing visibility reduced to between one and three miles, patchy dense fog is reducing visibilities to as low as one quarter mile in spots.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Unable to turn back against the strong currents of the Napo, the party, now reduced to just 50, carried on downriver toward the Amazon.—
Stanley Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Flames were shooting out of Flashbacks, her family’s beloved small-town diner, and there was nothing to do but watch as the building — part restaurant, part local history display, all community institution — was consumed by the blaze.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Afterward the plane could be seen on the runway, consumed in flame.—
Theresa Braine,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While the short-term base rate decreased thanks to cuts from the Fed last year, analysts are widely expecting the base rate to decrease at a slower pace in the New Year.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
12 Jan. 2026
-
When eccentricity decreased, the climate shifted toward drier conditions.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Space.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Chargers guards and center Bradley Bozeman, a trio whose job was made more difficult by subpar play by both offensive tackles, looked enfeebled against Indianapolis Colt tackle DeForest Buckner.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Oct. 2025
-
During a hospital stay, Roy’s enfeebled mother fixates on the caste and religious affiliations of the doctors treating her—the sort of thing that will be familiar to anyone who has cringed at a diminished elder’s unfiltered prejudices.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Carrington spent his first two years at Minnesota before transferring to Tulsa last year and Wisconsin for this season.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
14 Jan. 2026
-
To monitor how the tax revenue is being spent, periodic audits for each of the three categories of uses will be required, with the first of those due in 2029.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Breadon tasked Worrell with chairing the environmental justice resiliency and parks committee along with the committee on labor and economic development, which has absorbed the former committee on small business and professional licensure.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Both juries absorbed the totality of the circumstances and reached for a lever of indignation rather than the strict logic of the law.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Depleted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depleted. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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