Which option best defines the verb deplete?

• A. to increase
• B. to use up
• C. to maintain
• D. to complement

Answer: (B)

Deplete means to use up something, reducing its amount or supply. This word describes the act of exhausting resources through consumption or use, often gradually. For example, you might deplete your energy after a long day, or deplete a stock of supplies by repeatedly using them.

The idea fits best with “to use up” because it conveys consuming until nothing is left, rather than increasing, keeping something the same, or adding to it. The other notions—driving up, maintaining, or complementing—don’t capture the sense of exhaustion that deplete carries.