as in decrease
the amount by which something is lessened
the kind of catastrophic illness that can make a sizable depletion in a family's savings
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Recent Examples of depletion
The clock is ticking faster towards the depletion of Social Security's trust fund that helps fund benefits for about 70 million Americans.
—
Medora Lee, USA Today, 28 Feb. 2026
Crop rotation prevents nutrient depletion of the soil and pests and diseases from returning next year.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 20 Feb. 2026
At the same time, interactions between the two materials boost the electron depletion layer, which magnifies changes in electrical resistance when ethanol is detected, Nanowerk writes.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 1 Feb. 2026
Turkey's experience suggests investors chronically underweight tail risks where credibility depletion compounds across multiple institutional failures.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Geoff Scott, former head of medicine and sports science at Tottenham Hotspur, told The Athletic’s Sarah Shephard that, in hot conditions, players lose water through sweat, as well as electrolytes, and that the depletion of the likes of sodium, chloride and potassium can be significant.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
If the program reaches that depletion date without congressional action to reform the program, there are several ways benefits may be affected, depending on the interpretation of the law, Nuñez said.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
But research later determined that the neurotoxic gas also can cause serious health issues in humans and contributed to the depletion of the ozone, ultimately leading to its ban under the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty, in 2005.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Managing water bankruptcy will require governments to focus on preventing further irreversible damage, such as wetland loss, destructive groundwater depletion and uncontrolled pollution, the report noted.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
Medora Lee, USA Today, 28 Feb. 2026
Crop rotation prevents nutrient depletion of the soil and pests and diseases from returning next year.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 20 Feb. 2026
At the same time, interactions between the two materials boost the electron depletion layer, which magnifies changes in electrical resistance when ethanol is detected, Nanowerk writes.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 1 Feb. 2026
Turkey's experience suggests investors chronically underweight tail risks where credibility depletion compounds across multiple institutional failures.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Geoff Scott, former head of medicine and sports science at Tottenham Hotspur, told The Athletic’s Sarah Shephard that, in hot conditions, players lose water through sweat, as well as electrolytes, and that the depletion of the likes of sodium, chloride and potassium can be significant.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
If the program reaches that depletion date without congressional action to reform the program, there are several ways benefits may be affected, depending on the interpretation of the law, Nuñez said.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
But research later determined that the neurotoxic gas also can cause serious health issues in humans and contributed to the depletion of the ozone, ultimately leading to its ban under the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty, in 2005.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Managing water bankruptcy will require governments to focus on preventing further irreversible damage, such as wetland loss, destructive groundwater depletion and uncontrolled pollution, the report noted.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depletion
Noun
-
Interviewed before the store closing, chief executive officer Tres Lund said last year that an increase in store security expenses and decrease in customer visits had left operating costs outpacing sales.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
26 Feb. 2026
-
In December, city staff requested an end to meeting room reservations for outside organizations due to concerns over security, a decrease in room bookings, and billing and reservation system challenges.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
No one religious or spiritual practice appeared to be more protective against addiction, but the risk reduction was higher for people who regularly engaged in a spiritual or religious community, defined as weekly attendance at a religious service.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Eco effort Loews Kansas City participates in company-wide sustainability initiatives, including broad platforms focused on energy efficiency, waste reduction, and responsible sourcing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Conte was a bad fit from the start and played a small part in their decline.—
Dan Kilpatrick,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The refusal to engage with the media contrasts Davis’ predecessors and contributes to a sharp decline in transparency at the Forty Acres, which also lost its faculty senate, a long-standing public forum that allowed faculty to question the president directly.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The night started with the Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk and Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews at center ice, set to take an honorary puck drop from Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito and head equipment manager Teddy Richards.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The kick would be a field goal place kick with a holder or a drop kick from the spot where the returner caught the ball.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Harrison Bader put a figurative dent into a baseball.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Recently, though, her charisma, cutting humor and being a loving mother have somehow eclipsed those accusations, and not even an entire TLC docuseries about her and her church could dent put a dent in her popularity.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Depletion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depletion. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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