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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sapping
George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 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
If so, the mania described by Chow might result in abundant information and even progress, but not progress of the kind that protects the wealth of producers the world over from the theft that is inflation, and the economy-sapping uncertainty that is currency volatility.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Performances at Aston Villa and at home to Liverpool were vivid reminders of spirit and commitment, which couldn’t be taken for granted after the energy-sapping nature of Isak’s long goodbye.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 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
If so, the mania described by Chow might result in abundant information and even progress, but not progress of the kind that protects the wealth of producers the world over from the theft that is inflation, and the economy-sapping uncertainty that is currency volatility.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sapping
Verb
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Then the hurricane continued on a more northward path around the islands and finally began weakening after powerful 145 mph winds tapered off.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Total job growth was revised lower by the largest amount in history, The revisions erased 911 thousand jobs over the full year period, adding to mounting concerns of a weakening labor market and fueling questions as to the reliability of monthly data being used to gauge employment.—
JJ Kinahan,
Forbes.com,
10 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
-
The economic environment remains foggy, with uncertainty around tariffs and a labor market that, while softening in some areas, remains remarkably resilient in others.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
This stands in sharp contrast to struggling sectors like multifamily, which are contending with softening rents and oversupply in formerly high-growth markets.—
Andrew DeNardo,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Measles, mumps and other vaccine-preventable diseases can cause debilitating and permanent damage.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Couture, 36, officially ended his NHL playing career in April, unable to completely get past his own debilitating injury that robbed him of a chance to leave the sport on his own terms.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To avoid wasting time and money, leaders need a simple rule.—
Rishit Lakhani,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
But slow oxygen chemistry has remained a stubborn bottleneck, wasting energy and shortening battery life.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sapping. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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