1
as in energy
active strength of body or mind
a child full of sap and vivacity
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2
as in sucker
one who is easily deceived or cheated
some poor sap would probably fall for that telephone scam
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3
as in cane
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
the sadistic prison guards freely used their saps to enforce discipline
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4
as in health
the condition of being sound in body
I may no longer have the sap of youth, but I do have the sapience that comes only with advanced years
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as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
weeks of hard work had sapped her and left her exhausted
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sap
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Nov. 2025
For instance, the bacterium Carsonella ruddii, which lives as a symbiont within the guts of sap-feeding insects, has an even smaller genome than Sukunaarchaeum, at around 159,000 base pairs.
—Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 24 Nov. 2025
Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 3 Jan. 2026
Once wet, cotton takes a long time to dry and will sap your heat.
—Dan Basso, Freep.com, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sap
Noun
These bugs suck the plant’s vital sap, weakening the plant and disrupting its ability to produce chlorophyll to feed itself.
—Verb
Filling in The absence of senior power forward Pharrel Payne (right knee) has sapped the Terps of a productive commodity on both ends of the floor.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for sap
Noun
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When the weather turns chilly, plants naturally enter a state of dormancy and draw energy down from their leaves and stems into their roots, which helps plants survive the cold without damage.—
-
Rheinmetall’s new technology is key for the energy transition in the field of hydrogen production.—
Noun
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As the humpback plunges back below the surface the remoras, also known as sucker fish, return to the whale, sticking their landings with the timing and precision of Olympic gymnasts.—
-
Remove any canes that are crossing or rubbing against each other, as well as any suckers that have formed.—
Noun
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Of course, Philly’s historic cobblestone streets, narrow alleyways and uneven sidewalks aren’t wheelchair- or cane-friendly, and are a challenge for people with mobility limitations.—
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In videos widely shared to social media, Joel is seen looking thin, walking on stage with the help of a cane, a sign of his condition, a neurological disorder called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.—
Noun
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The average cost of a home health aide is around $6,000 a month.—
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The new doll is part of Mattel’s Fashionistas collection, which includes dolls with a diverse range of skin tones, hair textures, body types and health conditions, including type 1 diabetes, Down syndrome and blindness.—
Verb
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Evergreen branches bent under the weight of snow are already weakened; sweeping down the length of the branch toward the ground adds to the stress and increases the potential for breakage.—
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These policies impose devastating costs on American citizens, weakening our economy, increasing the national debt, straining public budgets and tearing families apart.—
Noun
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But the proliferation of his branding on government entities shows a brazen vigor at self-promotion.—
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Singing is a form of communication used to signal a bird's health, vigor, and fitness to potential partners and to warn off rivals, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.—
Noun
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That performance included baton twirlers and horses galloping through the crowd.—
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People have decided who is going to be the next person, and then just passing down the baton.—
Noun
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What’s your team’s greatest strength this season?—
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And that’s all without mentioning a run defense that flexed its strength against the Green Bay Packers, and a special teams group that is facilitating complementary football and more.—
Cite this Entry
“Sap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sap. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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