as in draining
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as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
weeks of hard work had sapped her and left her exhausted
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Recent Examples of sapping
Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
With the World Cup kickoff just over a week away, climate scientists are warning that heat could be an invisible opponent, slowing play at open-air venues like Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead Stadium), sapping players’ legs and testing fans in sweltering conditions.
—Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
That uses the aerodisc wheels, each machined from a single piece of aluminum and designed to minimize range-sapping eddies and wakes by funneling the air like a turbine.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 26 May 2026
Over two energy-sapping legs and more than three-and-a-half hours of football, Southampton required a 116th-minute winner from Shea Charles to come from behind on the night and eliminate Middlesbrough from the Championship play-offs and advance to the final against Hull City on Saturday, May 23.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Democrats in control of the legislature warn that would hamstring other state priorities, like education and healthcare, by sapping money from the general fund.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 13 May 2026
The conflict is not only sapping oil revenue, but also Gulf states’ efforts to expand their economies beyond it.
—Evan Halper, Washington Post, 10 May 2026
But too often those extra years are not healthy ones — sapping the sweetness from what should be our golden years.
—Bryan T. Kelly, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
Yet there is scant appetite for such an effort before the midterms from party leadership—as well as from swing-state lawmakers and those who see it as the kind of therapy presenting as governance that risks sapping the party’s momentum.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
San Antonio shot a collective 11-for-16 from deep, essentially sapping away any effort the Knicks made to rectify their unexpected Game 3 loss in their first Finals home in 27 years.
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
With the World Cup kickoff just over a week away, climate scientists are warning that heat could be an invisible opponent, slowing play at open-air venues like Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead Stadium), sapping players’ legs and testing fans in sweltering conditions.
—Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
That uses the aerodisc wheels, each machined from a single piece of aluminum and designed to minimize range-sapping eddies and wakes by funneling the air like a turbine.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 26 May 2026
Over two energy-sapping legs and more than three-and-a-half hours of football, Southampton required a 116th-minute winner from Shea Charles to come from behind on the night and eliminate Middlesbrough from the Championship play-offs and advance to the final against Hull City on Saturday, May 23.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Democrats in control of the legislature warn that would hamstring other state priorities, like education and healthcare, by sapping money from the general fund.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 13 May 2026
The conflict is not only sapping oil revenue, but also Gulf states’ efforts to expand their economies beyond it.
—Evan Halper, Washington Post, 10 May 2026
But too often those extra years are not healthy ones — sapping the sweetness from what should be our golden years.
—Bryan T. Kelly, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
Yet there is scant appetite for such an effort before the midterms from party leadership—as well as from swing-state lawmakers and those who see it as the kind of therapy presenting as governance that risks sapping the party’s momentum.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sapping
Adjective
-
Others are voluntarily asking to see more patients because the most draining and time-consuming parts of their job are now handled by AI.—
FJ Campbell,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
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Already carrying wider spans of control and shrinking development support, a manager operating against an outdated role definition is doing something more draining than managing a heavy workload.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The hurricane-weakening effects of El Niño may be positive for property and casualty insurers in the Northern Hemisphere.—
Bloomberg,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
-
An unpopular war, a structurally sound economy, but maybe GDP weakening, unemployment strong, but consumer confidence weakening.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
21 June 2026
Adjective
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Parazaider had revealed his most debilitating condition in a statement on the group’s website 2021.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
17 June 2026
-
Such a statistic often provokes a familiar gamut of responses from those who read it, from shock, disgust and anger to a debilitating sense of helplessness.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
National polling on the administration’s immigration policies tends to follow party lines, drawing Democrats’ disapproval and Republicans’ support, but recent polling suggests some softening among the latter.—
Lisa Meierotto,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
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In France, Le Pen and her allies are leading in polls by softening their apocalyptic rhetoric and instead promising big-government populist economic relief.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
Instead of wasting time worrying about the perfect sides to prepare with your summery main dishes, whip up one of these one-and-done dinners—no sides required!—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
21 June 2026
-
There are now five-second countdowns for goal kicks and throw-ins to stop time-wasting.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sapping. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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