1
as in draining
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
2
as in reducing
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
disease and battlefield casualties had depleted troop strength to dangerously low levels
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of depleting
The agency warned that depleting the reserve could cripple the Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) program, which provides emergency food assistance after natural disasters.
—
Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
This imbalance—funding Putin’s war by depleting other sectors—has fueled inflation, worsened by ruble depreciation and import costs.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
Rasmus Ristolainen is out for at least the first month, while Cam York is now on injured reserve, too, further depleting the blue line for the first week of the season and maybe longer.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Even those who like parts of his agenda have been stumped about how to talk him out of the stuff that terrifies them — whiplash tariffs and a labor-depleting immigration crackdown.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2025
In addition, holiday shopping began as early as July for some consumers, who were looking to avoid higher prices and shortages on retail shelves later in the year, inevitably depleting the sales tally for the traditional November through December holiday period.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025
Crop rotation is also important to avoid depleting the soil of nutrients by growing the same crops in the same spot over and over again.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2025
Ocean acidification can have profound impacts on marine ecosystems by depleting seawater of certain carbon compounds that corals and other shell building animals need to construct their protective homes.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2025
This film marries the two, as modern macro economics lead people to abandon fertile lands in search of work in urban cities, depleting the white storks’ natural food supply as farms become landfills.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 Sep. 2025
Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
This imbalance—funding Putin’s war by depleting other sectors—has fueled inflation, worsened by ruble depreciation and import costs.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
Rasmus Ristolainen is out for at least the first month, while Cam York is now on injured reserve, too, further depleting the blue line for the first week of the season and maybe longer.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Even those who like parts of his agenda have been stumped about how to talk him out of the stuff that terrifies them — whiplash tariffs and a labor-depleting immigration crackdown.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2025
In addition, holiday shopping began as early as July for some consumers, who were looking to avoid higher prices and shortages on retail shelves later in the year, inevitably depleting the sales tally for the traditional November through December holiday period.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025
Crop rotation is also important to avoid depleting the soil of nutrients by growing the same crops in the same spot over and over again.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2025
Ocean acidification can have profound impacts on marine ecosystems by depleting seawater of certain carbon compounds that corals and other shell building animals need to construct their protective homes.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2025
This film marries the two, as modern macro economics lead people to abandon fertile lands in search of work in urban cities, depleting the white storks’ natural food supply as farms become landfills.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depleting
Verb
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In the moments before Murphy’s goal, Jarrod Bowen had struck the right post, but the sense of hope draining from West Ham’s ground was lost on Howe’s players.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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According to the GoFundMe, which was started by Wall, Leo is facing a long recovery and currently has a tube draining saliva.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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According to the current lawsuit, Fletcher has not paid his half of the minimum $1,500 per month restitution for the existing settlement, but his ex-wife has paid her portion, reducing the restitution balance to just under $56,000.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Nov. 2025
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These are all part of standard advice for good sleep hygiene, which also includes reducing screen use before bed and creating a regular evening routine, like reading or listening to calming music.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Nutrient-rich agricultural runoff and sewage cause huge algal blooms, and when these algae die and sink, bacteria bloom in turn, consuming so much oxygen that few other organisms survive at lower depths.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
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Other methods use enzymes to isolate cells, but those procedures are time consuming and can threaten useful cell characteristics.—
Perri Thaler,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After a round of layoffs in September, Benioff said AI is decreasing his need for customer support staff.—
Aman Kidwai,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
-
When women undergo perimenopause or menopause, decreasing estrogen levels put them at greater risk of heart disease.—
Sandra Rose Salathe,
Flow Space,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Brown’s descendants, and their spouses, are responsible for pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the community and spending countless hours serving on local nonprofit boards.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The Blackhawks are still spending more time in the defensive zone and less time in the offensive zone compared to other NHL teams.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In today’s housing market, even the lucky ones often face exhausting ordeals and need to stretch their budgets to land a home.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
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Betelgeuse, formally known as Alpha Orionis, will one day end its life in a spectacular supernova explosion upon exhausting the last of its fuel, which could be as bright as the full moon.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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So this safety net, there for shock-absorbing systemic risks, makes sense for mom-and-pop savers and investors.—
Stephen Moore,
Boston Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
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The Dansko Sam Sandals feature a shock-absorbing foam midsole to provide comfort for even the longest of travel days.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sc/sd/11x Fire has been burning on private land.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Cobalt, which can cause a burning sensation when handled, was one of the most common of these and is named for the kobold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Depleting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depleting. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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