depletion

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 depletion Venezuela’s depletion rate has been falling rapidly since 2007. — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 The area is also home to large-scale industrial agriculture, with the resulting effluents triggering oxygen depletion and massive fish death annually. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026 In early April 2023, a report in The New York Times indicated that Ukraine’s S-300s and Buk systems, which then made up 89 percent of Ukraine’s air defense against Russian warplanes and bombers, were within a month of depletion. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 The White House called off attacks against Iran due to concerns about troop defense given the depletion of interceptor stocks, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported. — Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Aug. 2026 The depletion has also impacted Lake Powell’s substantial tourism industry, forcing marinas in the reservoir to adapt. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 At around 12 months in mice [roughly 40 to 50 years in humans], there is a shift from cell depletion to cell expansion. — Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026 Fears about environmental devastation, overpopulation, energy depletion, and a nuclear holocaust were omnipresent, manifested in books such as The Population Bomb, the back-to-the-land movement, and the entire Hollywood disaster-movie genre. — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026 Aluminum oxide is known for its ability to trigger ozone depletion, a hazardous process that was successfully thwarted by the Montreal Protocol of 1987. — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depletion
  1. decrease
  2. reduction
  3. decline
  4. drop
  5. dent
Noun
  • Newlight also reported a 28 percent reduction in CO₂ emissions and a 22 percent decrease in carbon monoxide emissions during the voyage.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • That is a drastic decrease in public support for right-leaning competitors since 2022, when nearly three times as many candidates won their seats and the group spent thousands on over 50 Florida school board campaigns.
    — Trinity Webster-Bass, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of decrease
Noun
  • Top establishments like London's Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, a three-star restaurant, offer flexible à la carte lunch options for under £100, a significant reduction from their standard tasting menus.
    — Carinne Geil Botta, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Recent school closures have helped the district to be able to make that reduction.
    — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduction
Noun
  • Larger coupon payments now provide a cushion against further price declines, unlike the low-yield environment earlier this decade.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Later, Hammer filmed her body’s visible decline from a long battle with cancer, concluding with her death in 2019 at age 79.
    — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of decline
Noun
  • For the richest of the rich, this translates into staggering and rapid gains and losses in paper wealth, such as an $18 billion one-day drop for Elon Musk and $50 billion week-long plunge for Larry Ellison, according to Forbes.
    — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Authorities also found a small drop of blood on the passenger seat.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of drop
Noun
  • The departures of Ethan Hurkett (8 sacks), Max Llewellyn (6 1/2) and Aaron Graves (5) put a big dent in the pass rush.
    — John Bohnenkamp, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Tracks Check that the tracks on both sides of the door are properly aligned and free of dents or debris.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of dent

Browse Nearby Words

depleting
depletion
depletions
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Cite this Entry

“Depletion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depletion. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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