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
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
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
Verb
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sapping
Adjective
-
Asch recommends finding a driver-friendly activity to make time on the road feel less draining, such as listening to an audiobook or podcast.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Dunn said Black domestic workers were often forced to work longer on election days by their white families, weakening their chances of casting a ballot.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 May 2026
-
If next week’s jobs report shows a still resilient labor market, that could relieve investors wary of a weakening economic outlook.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
In the third, and most debilitating, patients withdraw from the world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Cobain had struggled for years with depression, substance abuse issues and a debilitating, unexplained stomach ailment.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After a decade of animosity, opinion polls show Americans’ views of China are softening, especially among the young.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
With hindsight perhaps softening memories of sunstroke, cast members and a number of below-the-line crew now fairly rhapsodize about the uniqueness of the shoot.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The city is wasting an enormous amount of city funds by trying to maintain the Housing First program, which involves nearly $1 million per unit of housing and a lifetime of dependency by the homeless individual.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
With the cost of living rising, leaders should create relief instead of collecting money, then wasting it through their vast bureaucracy.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sapping. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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