DEPLETING Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

depleting

verb

present participle of deplete

as in draining

to make complete use of miners depleted the vein of copper ore after only a few months

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in reducing

to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent disease and battlefield casualties had depleted troop strength to dangerously low levels

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 depleting However, payment amounts could change unless Congress takes action to address the depleting fund. — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026 Cell-depleting therapies, which are generally considered highly effective treatments, target and remove specific immune cells. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 El Nino is already fueling wildfires across farmland, depleting water supplies for major cities and hurting fish catches in the region. — Edna Tarigan, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026 Coffee grounds suffocate roots, causing rot and depleting nitrogen needed for growth. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Sep. 2026 In 2019, the New York Times did an investigation into Max’s depleting state and found that painters were recruited to paint in the style of Max, where then the artist would be instructed to sign each work. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026 Rapidly depleting oil inventories Saudi Arabia on Friday temporarily closed the East-West pipeline as a precautionary measure following multiple attacks by drones launched from Iraq. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026 There’s about a half-dozen coordinators who should be high on ADs’ radars, perhaps even more so after a bunch of top Group of 6 head coaches got Power 4 jobs last year, depleting the ranks a bit. — Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Authorities were wary of depleting China’s supply and someday becoming dependent on imports, as the country is for oil and gas. — Gloria Xiong, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for depleting

Verb

That means removing plants, mud and debris from boats, trailers and equipment; draining water from compartments; and allowing equipment to dry completely.

— Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Secretly draining shared savings or hiding major debt are obvious betrayals.

— Jenna Ryu, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of draining

Verb

Gupta estimated that reducing formation time by half or more could lower overall factory electricity use by 10% to 15%.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
Slowing or reducing the demand for that subsidy seems appropriate in my view.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of reducing

Verb

That marks a decline from the 2002–2004 period, when 79% of Catholics reported consuming alcoholic beverages.

— Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Adding the 11-tap receiver equalizer increased the rate to 200 Gb/s, with the modulator consuming 63 fJ per bit.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of consuming

Verb

So, get ready for mountain vistas and exhausting cycling days to take your breath away and questions about your life choices to swirl around in your head!

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
On the third bike was Jenny Brookes, Zero's senior global brand manager, who rode a standard DSR/X adventure bike for approximately 239 miles (384 km) before exhausting its battery.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of exhausting

Verb

The proposed Department of Neighborhood Safety would send mental health professionals and other civilian responders to certain nonviolent 911 calls while absorbing the city’s existing violence prevention programs.

— Chevall Pryce, Baltimore Sun, 27 Oct. 2026
What eventually made tobacco’s cumulative harm actionable was that states showed their Medicaid budgets absorbing the downstream costs of industry products.

— Ned Cooper, STAT, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of absorbing

Verb

What’s less known is that indoor activity — cooking, keeping pets, burning candles and spraying perfumes — generates pollutants and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Jennings adds.

— Tracy Achonwa, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
In 2006, the Charger stormed the market as a rubber-burning full-size sedan that gained muscle over the years, culminating in a 797-horsepower variant.

— Matt Degen, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of burning

Browse Nearby Words

depletes

depleting

depletion

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Depleting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depleting. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of depleting

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shindig

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes