deplete

Synonym Chooser

How is the word deplete distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of deplete are bankrupt, drain, exhaust, and impoverish. While all these words mean "to deprive of something essential to existence or potency," deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function.

depleting our natural resources

When is bankrupt a more appropriate choice than deplete?

Although the words bankrupt and deplete have much in common, bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse.

war had bankrupted the nation of resources

When is it sensible to use drain instead of deplete?

The synonyms drain and deplete are sometimes interchangeable, but drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence.

personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit

When can exhaust be used instead of deplete?

In some situations, the words exhaust and deplete are roughly equivalent. However, exhaust stresses a complete emptying.

her lecture exhausted the subject

In what contexts can impoverish take the place of deplete?

While in some cases nearly identical to deplete, impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness.

impoverished soil

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 deplete But these aerosols could also deplete the ozone layer or worsen ocean acidification. Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2025 With depleting foreign exchange reserves, some businesses have been forced to close as entrepreneurs and farmers turn to the black market in search of hard currency. Charles Pensulo, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2025 The paradox of partnership Relationships often function like one-way life rafts, keeping men afloat while leaving women depleted. Vanessa Bennett, SELF, 10 Sep. 2025 Fixed a bug where spirits summoned by Revenant did not revive if their HPs were depleted. Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deplete
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deplete
Verb
  • That change could flood the program with claims, rapidly drain it, and give manufacturers another reason to pull away from making vaccines.
    Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Some clogs may be visible from the top of your drain that will also indicate a slow-draining sink.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The researchers believe that the benefit likely comes from aspirin acting in several ways – by reducing inflammation and inhibiting platelet function and tumor growth.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2025
  • In 2016, court filings indicate Gamez Lira was charged with possession of marijuana but ultimately pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after the charges were reduced.
    Armando Garcia, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Children and adolescents consume pizza more frequently than adults, the USDA said.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
  • However, once human settlers arrived, so did mammals that easily hunted and consumed these ground-dwelling birds.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Spaying a female pet prevents uterine infections and greatly decreases the risk of breast tumors.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Even with aggressive climate action that drastically decreases fossil fuel burning, the primary driver of global warming, smoke levels are likely to increase substantially, doubling by the middle of the century.
    Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Bobenmoyer spent seven years as a dental assistant.
    Anna Clark, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2025
  • In Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, and Austin, renters typically spent less than 20 percent of their median income on rent.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Texans were up 28-21, and Keller had exhausted all of its timeouts.
    Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Lula was imprisoned in 2018, but he was released in November 2019 after the Supreme Court ruled that defendants can’t be jailed before exhausting appeal options.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Bader’s formulation avoids this problem by using ascorbyl glucoside, a water-soluble derivative that stays intact in the bottle, then converts into active Vitamin C once absorbed.
    Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Other fruit juices, including apple and citrus ones like orange, may also affect how your body absorbs and processes certain blood pressure medications, said David Maron, MD, a cardiologist with the Preventive Cardiology Clinic at Stanford Medicine.
    Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Lapin and her family were among the more than 150,000 people throughout Los Angeles forced to evacuate their homes because of the blazes, which burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed over 16,000 structures.
    Meredith Wilshere, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Historic data In 2024, California experienced 305 fires caused by lightning, resulting in 90,206 acres of wildland burned, according to NIFC records.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deplete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deplete. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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