1
as in suckers
one who is easily deceived or cheated
some poor sap would probably fall for that telephone scam
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in canes
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
the sadistic prison guards freely used their saps to enforce discipline
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in weakens
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
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Recent Examples of saps
Divya Prasad, IEEE Spectrum, 26 Aug. 2021
Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2025
Nothing saps the energy out of a corporate initiative faster than inertia.
—Amy Volz, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Sweetgreen’s stumbles have reinforced doubts about whether premium salad chains can thrive in today’s value-conscious dining environment, especially as hybrid work saps the desk-lunch crowd and consumers search for more affordable options.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2025
The two types—NMOS and PMOS—must maintain a certain distance to limit capacitance that saps the devices’ performance and power consumption.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 May 2023
Noun
As transistors continue to be made tinier, the interconnects that supply them with current must be packed ever closer and be made ever finer, which increases resistance and saps power.
—Divya Prasad, IEEE Spectrum, 26 Aug. 2021
Verb
But the county’s fire union contends the switch saps Fire Rescue funds from long-term plans to add fire trucks, stations and crews in areas of the county needing better coverage to lower response times.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2025
Nothing saps the energy out of a corporate initiative faster than inertia.
—Amy Volz, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Sweetgreen’s stumbles have reinforced doubts about whether premium salad chains can thrive in today’s value-conscious dining environment, especially as hybrid work saps the desk-lunch crowd and consumers search for more affordable options.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2025
The two types—NMOS and PMOS—must maintain a certain distance to limit capacitance that saps the devices’ performance and power consumption.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saps
Noun
-
The little suckers will ingest this and die.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Cephalopods’ soft bodies sprout arms and bloom with suckers at these same splits.—
Jake Buehler,
Quanta Magazine,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The Cracker Barrel in Belleville still has lots of space between the tables, which is good, because a statistically improbable number of customers the other morning were using canes or walkers.—
Neal Rubin,
Freep.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Fennell explained that grapevine canes, the woody stems that support grape clusters, are an abundant, cellulose-rich material, and are available in the large quantities each year after harvest.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Any delay in release weakens hatchlings and affects their survival rates.—
M. Rajshekhar,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Beyond 100 people, culture often fragments, communication distorts and the founder’s vision weakens.—
Jonathan Low,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The plaintiffs later accused the department of violating the order by hitting journalists with batons and arresting them during an August protest.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
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Reuters reported that police used water cannons, batons, rubber bullets and tear gas against protesters.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
White rum lays down a clean, spirited base, while the richness of maple syrup lends a silky depth that softens the citrus bite of fresh lemon juice.—
Aly Walansky,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
When the material is loaded up with pain killers and/or anti-inflammatory drugs, they would be released as the hydrogel softens, interrupting the pain pathway and bringing relief to patients.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Several in attendance Monday took the opportunity to address the crowd, arguing that canceling active missions wastes taxpayer dollars already spent and undermines relationships with international partners who have invested their own time and resources in such projects.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Messy data wrecks forecasts, distorts reporting and wastes time.—
Thasha Batts,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Saps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saps. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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