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drain

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word drain distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of drain are bankrupt, deplete, exhaust, and impoverish. While all these words mean "to deprive of something essential to existence or potency," drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence.

personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit

When might bankrupt be a better fit than drain?

The synonyms bankrupt and drain are sometimes interchangeable, but bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse.

war had bankrupted the nation of resources

When can deplete be used instead of drain?

Although the words deplete and drain have much in common, deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function.

depleting our natural resources

When is exhaust a more appropriate choice than drain?

In some situations, the words exhaust and drain are roughly equivalent. However, exhaust stresses a complete emptying.

her lecture exhausted the subject

When would impoverish be a good substitute for drain?

The words impoverish and drain are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness.

impoverished soil

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 drain
Verb
Vent pipes need to be sloped at all times, like drain pipes. Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 31 May 2025 Next to a desk and minimal office supplies sat pipe cutting machines, sewer machines and a drain cleaning machine. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 6 June 2025
Noun
Inrix finds traffic congestion costs the average Los Angeles driver 89 hours a year and drains $8 billion annually from the economy. Baruch Feigenbaum, Oc Register, 24 June 2025 Why Culture Matters Toxic culture can drain performance, producing distrust, low creativity and high turnover. Chris Williams, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for drain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drain
Verb
  • The latest addition the InMotion's range will certainly get the adrenaline pumping with a top speed of 43.5 mph (70 km/h).
    Paul Ridden June 24, New Atlas, 24 June 2025
  • Foreigners have responded by pumping money into America and now own 18% of the U.S. stock market, according to Apollo chief economist Torsten Sløk.
    Greg McKenna, Fortune, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • Amos has led Aflac for 35 years and has spent more than five decades at the company his family founded.
    Glen Luke Flanagan, Fortune, 30 June 2025
  • Her son died six days later, on Thanksgiving Day, after spending nearly a week in a coma.
    Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Gaza’s Health Ministry on Sunday said that another 88 people have been killed by Israeli fire over the past 24 hours, raising the war’s toll among Palestinians to 56,500.
    Tia Goldenberg, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2025
  • One Cambodian soldier was killed in a relatively small, contested area.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • The focus is on the Bangs Lake outfall control structure, which is currently maintained by manually making adjustments to the sluice gate.
    Gregory Harutunian, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025
  • Still, on May 4, India lowered sluice gates at the Baglihar dam, effectively reducing the downstream flow to Pakistan through the Chenab River by up to 90%, according to the Hindustan Times.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 7 May 2025
Noun
  • Just look at the recent news flow around 16 billion breached passwords.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • This combination of diagnostic capability with a conversational nature and flow is a key differentiator for Beauty Genius, which was unveiled by L’Oréal chief executive officer Nicolas Hieronimus at the 2024 Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas.
    Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • The truth is that the only form of simple 2FA is SMS codes, which are sent quickly without having to exit the app or click or tap.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • Owners who tap into 2nd-gen spaces with the right team can stretch their dollars further and make a stronger impact on their brand.
    William Jones, USA Today, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Older people have been hearing about heart health from their doctors for years, and data show that smoking weed and consuming edibles can have catastrophic cardiovascular effects.
    Kevin Sabet, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
  • The central trio of inmates in Australian writer-director Charles Williams’ first feature are each consumed with guilt for the crimes that got them here.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Also exempt are personal items, like pins or shirts worn by students and electronic displays within the school.
    Emma Epperly, Idaho Statesman, 28 June 2025
  • He was last seen wearing blue headphones, a blue surgical mask, a black North Face jacket, light-wash camo pants and gray sneakers.
    Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 28 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Drain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drain. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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