Deplete: meaning, example and synonyms

Depletev. To use up or greatly reduce the supply of something.

Flashcard for Deplete (verb): to use up or greatly reduce the supply of something. Example: Years of heavy pumping have depleted the aquifer, forcing some farmers to drill wells twice as deep as their parents did. Synonyms: exhaust, drain, use up, diminish. Antonyms: replenish, restore, refill, increase. Memory tip: de- ("un") + plete ("fill"): to un-fill, empty out. Illustration: a large wooden water barrel almost empty, with the last drops dripping from its tap into a bucket in a dry field.

Example

Years of heavy pumping have depleted the aquifer, forcing some farmers to drill wells twice as deep as their parents did.

Part of speech
verb
Synonyms
exhaust, drain, use up, diminish
Antonyms
replenish, restore, refill, increase
Memory tip
de- ("un") + plete ("fill"): to un-fill, empty out.

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Check yourself: Deplete in context

Pick the word that best completes each text, as on the SAT's words-in-context questions.

Question 1

Fishing fleets have so ______ the cod population that some regions have banned commercial fishing for decades.

Question 2

Running the generator around the clock would quickly ______ the camp's fuel supply, so the crew used it only at night.

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