deplete

Definition of depletenext

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 On the other hand, if there are negative returns early in retirement, followed by a bull market, the portfolio would be depleted in 27 years. Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026 Unexpected expenses can crop up, depleting funds more quickly than expected. Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026 Because most ozone-depleting substances are also potent greenhouse gases, the treaty’s measures from 1990 to 2010 alone have prevented the equivalent of 11 gigatons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere per year. Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026 The Knights’ roster was depleted following the departure of Abrahamson-Henderson, leaving Messer to reload the roster through the transfer portal. Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deplete
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deplete
Verb
  • Some fruit trees might prefer wet weather and moist earth, but others will perform best with well-draining, sandy soil.
    Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 2 Apr. 2026
  • That includes details that criminals can use to drain accounts, open loans, or impersonate you.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Global oil supply has reduced by 13%, according to the IMF, while severe damage has been done to other critical supply chains.
    Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2026
  • But government hunting programs and other efforts to reduce their numbers as the human population grew led to the local extinction, or extirpation, of the animals from California more than a century ago.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Its companion Renpho Health app (available for Android and iOS) tracks 50 health metrics, but some (like calories consumed and burned) rely on your input or external sources.
    Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Fierce in expression but controlled in form, the 1959 LP draws out a rootsy warmth from beneath the bebop that had consumed bandstands since World War II, forging a sound that feels at once confrontational, mischievous, and generous.
    Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • This risk decreases as the storm moves away.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2026
  • As the war in Iran rages on, both rising oil prices and consumers’ decreasing desire to jet-set in uncertain times hang like a dark cloud over the industry, threatening to upend air travel across the world.
    Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Factor in a tax multiplier for those who repeatedly spend past the salary cap, and payroll expenses can include hundreds of millions in taxes.
    Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
  • How in the world had my mother, a young Black woman and the eldest of four, raised by two parents who had never finished high school in a segregated town in southwestern Louisiana, spent a summer in Europe in the 1960s?
    Shayla Martin, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The idea that forms of artistic expression can exhaust themselves is nothing new.
    Daniel Birnbaum, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
  • In 2018, pregnant with her third child, Kate Ames was exhausted.
    Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Stony rubbish, dead trees, the odd corpse in the garden—nothing that couldn’t be absorbed back into the earth.
    Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
  • In more severe cases of hair loss, a doctor might prescribe oral minoxidil, which is generally absorbed better by the body but also typically comes with more side effects.
    Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The group then sprang into action, rushing to pull them from the burning vehicle and extinguish the flames.
    Michele Gile, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Dinner is focused around a large wood burning oven, putting out deliciously charred meats and veggies, and there’s a vibrant after-work drinks scene that always has this place pumping.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Deplete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deplete. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.

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