as in draining
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
weeks of hard work had sapped her and left her exhausted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sapping
Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 26 May 2026
Instead of productivity-sapping duplication, two enormous utilities presently serving Florida, the Carolinas and Virginia will combine to expand their capabilities by combining the machines, manpower and thought formerly compromised by two businesses working apart.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
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
Verb
That uses the aerodisc wheels, each machined from a single piece of aluminum and designed to minimize range-sapping eddies and wakes by funneling the air like a turbine.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 26 May 2026
Instead of productivity-sapping duplication, two enormous utilities presently serving Florida, the Carolinas and Virginia will combine to expand their capabilities by combining the machines, manpower and thought formerly compromised by two businesses working apart.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sapping
Adjective
-
Others are voluntarily asking to see more patients because the most draining and time-consuming parts of their job are now handled by AI.—
FJ Campbell,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
-
Already carrying wider spans of control and shrinking development support, a manager operating against an outdated role definition is doing something more draining than managing a heavy workload.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Brooks Koepka, who rejoined the PGA Tour from LIV Golf in January, withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge at the last minute despite being originally scheduled to play, further weakening the field.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 May 2026
-
Second, some worry that some of the financial safeguards and market disciplines developed after previous crises may be weakening.—
Robert Ginsburg,
Forbes.com,
31 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
-
With inflation surging, wages softening and borrowing costs high thanks to elevated interest rates, the incentive to protect this money is particularly strong now.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
-
But softening Republican support on specific policy matters — including top voter priorities, such as the economy — have begun raising questions among experts whether further erosion is possible.—
Ana Ceballos,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has announced a raft of landmark rule changes that will come into force ahead of this summer’s World Cup, with the overarching objectives being to tackle discrimination, cut time-wasting, increase match tempo and improve fan and player experience.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
-
Getting warships into the water is hard enough without wasting funds on vessels unlikely ever to sail.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sapping. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
