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
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
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
Verb
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
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
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
-
That separation is now weakening.—
Ingmar Rentzhog,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
In addition to these external influences, Dini emphasized that long-term domestic instability has left Somalia’s coastline vulnerable, weakening local institutions and lowering the risks for pirate networks.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
15 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
-
Additionally, there was mention of softening or pricing pressures stemming from the conflict with Iran, which has driven oil prices higher.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
The moisture activates the surfactants and softening agents embedded in the sheet.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The new pistachio cheesecake began popping up in Costco bakery sections nationwide a few weeks ago, and customers online are wasting no time sharing the exciting news across social media.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
18 May 2026
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This is just one of many instances of the DOJ wasting taxpayer dollars on political posturing.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sapping. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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