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
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
The losses were sapping their strength and stamina.
—ABC News, 28 Feb. 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
That morale-sapping defeat in Leeds was not the first of its kind since his late October appointment.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Seizing on the frigid weather, Russia has launched an all-out assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with the apparent aim of keeping up pressure amid ongoing peace negotiations—and sapping public morale.
—Michael Holtz, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
The losses were sapping their strength and stamina.
—ABC News, 28 Feb. 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
That morale-sapping defeat in Leeds was not the first of its kind since his late October appointment.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Seizing on the frigid weather, Russia has launched an all-out assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with the apparent aim of keeping up pressure amid ongoing peace negotiations—and sapping public morale.
—Michael Holtz, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sapping
Adjective
-
Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
-
By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Seniors are the most reliable midterm voters in the country, and with the 2026 elections approaching and affordability already their top concern, weakening this program is a risk Republicans should not be taking.—
Joe Hardy,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
However, rejecting the goal of citizenship verification altogether risks weakening public confidence in the system.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Living with long COVID Long COVID is often very debilitating, Walkes said.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Worries are worsening that the war could block the production of oil in the Persian Gulf for a long time and cause a debilitating surge of inflation for the global economy.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On the other hand, taupe bags work just as well with bold color pairings, softening them with a sense of ease.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
-
So far lawmakers haven’t, slowing, softening and then shooting down a bipartisan measure that would have enlisted the state Department of Agriculture to take on the burgeoning pest.—
Mark Dee
March 31,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
First-year manager Craig Stammen is wasting little time getting his bench players into the starting lineup.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Shares of Sarepta rose more than 20% in early trading Wednesday after the company presented preliminary data on a pair of treatments for rare, muscle-wasting diseases.—
Damian Garde,
STAT,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sapping. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
