1
as in energy
active strength of body or mind
a child full of sap and vivacity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sucker
one who is easily deceived or cheated
some poor sap would probably fall for that telephone scam
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3
as in cane
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
the sadistic prison guards freely used their saps to enforce discipline
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in health
the condition of being sound in body
I may no longer have the sap of youth, but I do have the sapience that comes only with advanced years
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
weeks of hard work had sapped her and left her exhausted
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of sap
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2026
This removes the sap from the outer petals, convincing the bud to open quickly.
—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 May 2026
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
But years of water use that outpaced the Colorado River’s shrinking flows have, over the past two decades, sapped the reservoir’s water stores and created an existential crisis for water managers across the basin, home to 40 million people.
—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sap
Noun
This slows growth, destroys social trust, increases judgment and moralism, and saps societal happiness.
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Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2026
This removes the sap from the outer petals, convincing the bud to open quickly.
—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 May 2026
Verb
Little surprise that the pair explore the wider context of Brazil’s 1970 World Cup triumph, namely the military dictatorship that sapped national pride and heaped enormous pressure on a team — one who’d stunk up the tournament four years earlier — to restore it.
—
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
But years of water use that outpaced the Colorado River’s shrinking flows have, over the past two decades, sapped the reservoir’s water stores and created an existential crisis for water managers across the basin, home to 40 million people.
—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sap
Noun
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The city is recommending zoning regulations that fall in line with state statute while trying to calm residents who are worried data centers will overwhelm resources like water and energy and impose on their quality of life.
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Welcome to Climate Point, your weekly guide to the latest news about climate, energy and the environment.
Noun
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But Kiyoko is a sucker for a happy ending, and things tie up neater than the rest of the film might otherwise suggest.
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Removing the suckers encourages better air circulation and focuses the plant’s energy on producing fruit, says Singh.
Noun
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Jung, who is going into his senior year of high school, said SmartBlink can detect pedestrians using wheelchairs, crutches or canes, too.
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An individual bush can grow up to 15 feet high and 40 feet long, with thick stems, also known as canes, marked by sharp, hooked thorns.
Noun
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In a 2023 survey by World Athletics, a global sports federation, 75% of responding athletes said the impacts of climate change are negatively affecting their health and athletic performance.
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Shah adds that many women feel their best when ferritin levels are at least between 40 and 70 ng/ml for optimal energy and hair health, even if lab ranges suggest lower levels are ‘normal’.
Verb
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Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images BEIJING — China’s consumer spending slowdown persisted in June, with growth during one of the country’s largest online shopping festivals weakening sharply from a year earlier.
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All three of those protagonists have been weakened in their roles by what has gone on.
Noun
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Deadheading helps redirect energy to the plant, improving overall vigor and reducing disease risk.
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The crowd shook her car with such vigor that the 23-year-old Westminster resident couldn’t turn up the music like people shouted at her to do.
Noun
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The officers hit him with a baton and shocked him seven times.
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Somebody had dropped the baton.
Noun
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Additional laser pulses reveal how much the ion’s quantum state has changed, allowing researchers to calculate the strength of the surrounding electric field.
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The link held even after accounting for traditional risk factors, though the strength varied by racial and ethnic group, a gap researchers say still needs further study before firm conclusions can be drawn about why.
Cite this Entry
“Sap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sap. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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