as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
weeks of hard work had sapped her and left her exhausted
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in draining
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sapping
George Caulkin, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
That’s so precious to me right now, and the idea of producing a lot of stuff — and sapping all of that free time — is not appealing.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
If the experience of illness is inevitably one of sapping solipsism, caretaking is its life-giving corollary.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
However, these decisions shouldn’t be sapping you of your energy altogether.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
The film charts Stone’s tragic descent into severe drug addiction, sapping the creativity that had astonished the world.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2025
That gridlock is sapping a powerhouse central to the nation’s prosperity.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 16 Aug. 2025
And if Alabama cancels marquee matchups, other SEC schools will assuredly follow — potentially sapping the sport of must-see intersectional duels that energize the September competition calendar.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Dec. 2024
The setbacks certainly had a way of sapping a team’s spirit.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Newcastle were back in the Champions League after an absence of two decades and Howe was determined to drain energy-sapping emotion from a daunting opening tie against Milan.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
That’s so precious to me right now, and the idea of producing a lot of stuff — and sapping all of that free time — is not appealing.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
If the experience of illness is inevitably one of sapping solipsism, caretaking is its life-giving corollary.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
However, these decisions shouldn’t be sapping you of your energy altogether.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
The film charts Stone’s tragic descent into severe drug addiction, sapping the creativity that had astonished the world.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2025
That gridlock is sapping a powerhouse central to the nation’s prosperity.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 16 Aug. 2025
And if Alabama cancels marquee matchups, other SEC schools will assuredly follow — potentially sapping the sport of must-see intersectional duels that energize the September competition calendar.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Dec. 2024
The setbacks certainly had a way of sapping a team’s spirit.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sapping
Verb
-
If the economy is not weakening, but strengthening, the outlook for inflation could tilt higher.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Equal-weight consumer discretionary has been under a bit of pressure, with restaurant and travel names weakening, and is now clearly underperforming the broad market on a one-year basis.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Nozawa approached the decor with the goal of softening the architecture's hard lines and surfaces, while channeling the color palette of the building materials.—
Monika Biegler Eyers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Oct. 2025
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Speaking in New York, the central bank policymaker noted risks to both higher inflation and a softening labor market that are keeping officials on their toes.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Demanding political litmus tests The third tactic may be the most debilitating within the military itself.—
Kristina Mani,
The Conversation,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Measles, mumps and other vaccine-preventable diseases can cause debilitating and permanent damage.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Denim has long been branded one of the most climate-adverse, chemical-heavy, water-wasting fabrics to mill and manufacture.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Sep. 2025
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Talk about wasting our valuable resource.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sapping. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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