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
Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Sharply rising oil prices and sudden shortages of critical materials such as fertilizer can quickly permeate an economy and cause all kinds of goods and services to increase in price while sapping precious household income.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
But just as yesterday’s cheerleaders oversold, today’s skeptics go overboard in sapping Americans’ confidence.
—Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Wikipedia will still have to contend with AI bots sapping its bandwidth, but at least this will ensure that the text those AIs are learning from is accurate and human-generated—not some AI ouroboros.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Despite morale-sapping staff layoffs, bizarre executive orders and a 43-day federal government shutdown last fall, the grandeur and serenity of national parks in California remain irresistible to outdoors lovers looking to unwind.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
That helps explain why every rally is dying on arrival — burned holders sell into any bounce, sapping upward momentum.
—Phil Serafino, Bloomberg, 25 Feb. 2026
That morale-sapping defeat in Leeds was not the first of its kind since his late October appointment.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Seizing on the frigid weather, Russia has launched an all-out assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with the apparent aim of keeping up pressure amid ongoing peace negotiations—and sapping public morale.
—Michael Holtz, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
The prospect of an acute and prolonged oil shortage threatened to drive up prices for a vast array of goods, sapping energy from consumer spending, which powers most of the nation's economic growth.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Sharply rising oil prices and sudden shortages of critical materials such as fertilizer can quickly permeate an economy and cause all kinds of goods and services to increase in price while sapping precious household income.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
But just as yesterday’s cheerleaders oversold, today’s skeptics go overboard in sapping Americans’ confidence.
—Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Wikipedia will still have to contend with AI bots sapping its bandwidth, but at least this will ensure that the text those AIs are learning from is accurate and human-generated—not some AI ouroboros.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Despite morale-sapping staff layoffs, bizarre executive orders and a 43-day federal government shutdown last fall, the grandeur and serenity of national parks in California remain irresistible to outdoors lovers looking to unwind.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
That helps explain why every rally is dying on arrival — burned holders sell into any bounce, sapping upward momentum.
—Phil Serafino, Bloomberg, 25 Feb. 2026
That morale-sapping defeat in Leeds was not the first of its kind since his late October appointment.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Seizing on the frigid weather, Russia has launched an all-out assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with the apparent aim of keeping up pressure amid ongoing peace negotiations—and sapping public morale.
—Michael Holtz, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sapping
Adjective
-
Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
-
By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The impact of those exits could turn out to be the most lasting, potentially weakening the Justice Department for many years to come, several former longterm DOJ lawyers who worked across areas told USA TODAY.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Moisture can lead to weakening the tree or shrub's protective layer and create an environment for fungal growth, rot, or disease, says Putnam.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Cobain had struggled for years with depression, substance abuse issues and a debilitating, unexplained stomach ailment.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Living with long COVID Long COVID is often very debilitating, Walkes said.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Plus, these formulas aren’t limited to softening and smoothing only certain hair textures.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Some galleries have had pigment—blue, red, black—mixed into the concrete, softening the material’s sterility.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Dunk’s blemishes against Liverpool were compounded by an unfortunate yellow card for time wasting in the closing stages when referee Darren England decided too long had been taken with Verbruggen over a goal kick.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Many complained about time-wasting technology platforms.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sapping. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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