1
as in recruiting
to pick especially for required military service
my grandfather was drafted to fight in a war that he opposed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in preparing
to put (something) into proper and usually carefully worked out written form
draft a letter to the local newspaper giving your views on the problem
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in pumping
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely
remember to draft the water from the pool so that we can close it up for the winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of drafting
And with the dawn of the Space Age, scientists began drafting mission proposals and designs for interstellar spacecraft.
—
Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
In the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, city officials are drafting a measure to increase funding for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
—City News Service, Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, commissioners voted to have the city attorney start drafting ballot language.
—Tess Riski
january 8, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
The player could also take advantage of any assistance provided by the conference in drafting and enforcing the contract.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2026
That could mean drafting the Export-Import Bank and International Development Finance Corporation to provide financial incentives.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 7 Jan. 2026
How come the Cowboys are so good at drafting offensive players but not so much on defense?
—Kevin Sherrington, Dallas Morning News, 7 Jan. 2026
Oklahoma received $23 million more than expected, as CMS advised states use a $200 million annual estimate when drafting their applications.
—Jillian Taylor, StateImpact, 6 Jan. 2026
The writer watched the Korean original just once and then began drafting the remake from his Brooklyn apartment in early 2020, just as New York entered its first full COVID lockdown.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
In the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, city officials are drafting a measure to increase funding for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
—City News Service, Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, commissioners voted to have the city attorney start drafting ballot language.
—Tess Riski
january 8, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
The player could also take advantage of any assistance provided by the conference in drafting and enforcing the contract.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2026
That could mean drafting the Export-Import Bank and International Development Finance Corporation to provide financial incentives.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 7 Jan. 2026
How come the Cowboys are so good at drafting offensive players but not so much on defense?
—Kevin Sherrington, Dallas Morning News, 7 Jan. 2026
Oklahoma received $23 million more than expected, as CMS advised states use a $200 million annual estimate when drafting their applications.
—Jillian Taylor, StateImpact, 6 Jan. 2026
The writer watched the Korean original just once and then began drafting the remake from his Brooklyn apartment in early 2020, just as New York entered its first full COVID lockdown.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drafting
Verb
-
But as the Hoosiers marched toward the championship, Cignetti went out and snagged quarterback Josh Hoover from TCU, essentially recruiting over his Heisman Trophy winner’s little brother.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Richt, 35 and the son of longtime Georgia coach Mark Richt, has been around the sport long enough to understand the approach to recruiting, but also the pitfalls.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Packers are preparing for a wild-card game Saturday night in Chicago.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Listen to Glaser discuss preparing to host the 2026 Golden Globes on Ripa's podcast episode above.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
To this day, as much fun as Johnson has with his offensive artistry, little gets his blood pumping like bringing a mauling running game to life.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Countries like China let their industries pollute freely, dumping chemicals into rivers, pumping toxins into the air and throwing plastics into the ocean.—
Chip Lamarca,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Moon’s last credit, as shared on his IMDB page, was composing the music for the 2025 series The Artist.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Now, GenAI is enabling computers to learn patterns from massive datasets and to generate brand-new content on their own, such as writing human-like stories, say, or creating original images, or even composing music.—
Glenn Hunter,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Use a loose, fast-draining potting mix that pairs nutritious soil with big pieces of orchid bark, pumice, or perlite.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Balsam fir is native to moist woods and prefers well-draining, acidic soil over dense, clay soil.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As well as prohibiting establishments from refusing to accept cash, the bill prevents businesses from levying additional fees or surcharges on cash payments compared to cashless transactions.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Nov. 2025
-
Voters could face a decision to approve levying a 1% sales tax on unincorporated areas of Yolo County or a countywide 1% sales tax.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
19 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Born to a long line of musicians and entertainers (their great-grandparents were vaudevillians), Gunnar and Matt started writing music at age 6, shooting to fame in their own right after launching hard rock duo Nelson in the early 1980s.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Billy Bob Thornton and Ariana Greenblatt are set to star in Somedays, a feature film that Brian Klugman is writing and directing.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Because these medications slow down gastric emptying (the speed at which food leaves your stomach), constipation is a very common side effect.—
Lauren Manaker,
SELF,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Begin by emptying all pockets of the jacket and turning it inside out.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drafting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drafting. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
