drain off
verb
drained off; draining off; drains off
1
: to cause (a liquid) to flow away from something or to leave the surface of something
When the beans have cooked long enough to be tender, drain off the water and set them aside.
2
: to take (something important or valuable) from something
An independent candidate could drain off votes from either party.
Examples of drain off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The pasta water has cooked down with the other ingredients to become the sauce, and there is no liquid to drain off—and no strainer to wash after.
—
Victoria Spencer, Martha Stewart, 3 May 2026
It’s fed as Colorado River water drains off farm fields in the Imperial Valley.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Flip the chicken and drain off some of the grease.
—Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2026
Transfer them to a wire rack to cool and let the excess oil drain off.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Magoon’s return As the final seconds drained off SDSU’s victory, Nevada coach Steve Alford turned to his assistants and began talking about Magoon Gwath.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Dip in egg, letting excess drain off into bowl.
—Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Overwatering can be caused by a pot with poor drainage, the wrong potting medium, or a potting medium that has become old and so compacted that water cannot drain off the roots and air cannot get into the roots.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Jan. 2026
Tucked inside of the park's Yosemite Valley, the Horsetail Fall waterfall comes to life for a short season each year as winter snow and rain runoff drain off El Capitan.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 14 Jan. 2026
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Victoria Spencer, Martha Stewart, 3 May 2026
It’s fed as Colorado River water drains off farm fields in the Imperial Valley.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Flip the chicken and drain off some of the grease.
—Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2026
Transfer them to a wire rack to cool and let the excess oil drain off.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Magoon’s return As the final seconds drained off SDSU’s victory, Nevada coach Steve Alford turned to his assistants and began talking about Magoon Gwath.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Dip in egg, letting excess drain off into bowl.
—Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Overwatering can be caused by a pot with poor drainage, the wrong potting medium, or a potting medium that has become old and so compacted that water cannot drain off the roots and air cannot get into the roots.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Jan. 2026
Tucked inside of the park's Yosemite Valley, the Horsetail Fall waterfall comes to life for a short season each year as winter snow and rain runoff drain off El Capitan.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drain off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drain%20off. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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