1
as in to pump
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely
we drained the water from the tank before cleaning it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to spend
to make complete use of
virtually drained the country's natural resources
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to kill
to use up all the physical energy of
the long hike drained us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drain
Matt Emma, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Also, the instructions below don't apply to succulents and other plants that prefer sandy, fast-draining soil.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
Peter Greene, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The drain system was inspected using a camera system on March 16, and on April 1 investigators assessed the drainage system and located what appeared to be an additional skull, police said.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drain
Verb
Jason helps clients reduce tax exposure, stay compliant with filing requirements, and address serious matters involving IRS tax debt, audits, and disputes that can become financially and emotionally draining without experienced counsel.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Also, the instructions below don't apply to succulents and other plants that prefer sandy, fast-draining soil.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
Noun
Another example of a rural challenge is transportation costs, a rural financial drain that is currently increasing as the cost of gas rises.
—Peter Greene, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The drain system was inspected using a camera system on March 16, and on April 1 investigators assessed the drainage system and located what appeared to be an additional skull, police said.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drain
Verb
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My brother’s fiancée turned me on to these ones from Touchland, which not only have easy-pump spray applicators, but are enriched with nourishing aloe vera and sweet scents like watermelon and peach.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
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The weekend While Friday finishes on a comfy note with highs hovering around, a summer-like pattern officially gets Saturday underway as warmer air begins to pump into the state.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The neighborhood It’d be easy to spend a week around Nay Palad’s beachfront area, alternating between dips in the pool, reading books in a hammock, and tours around the gin-clear water in a see-through kayak—but on-the-up Siargao is well worth exploring.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
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What this narrative neglects are all the ways treatment might cause terrible side effects, or the long period one spends being sick, and how one’s identity may have changed in the interim.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Verb
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In a final battle, the Darksaber is destroyed, Gideon and his clones are seemingly killed, and the newly united Mandalorians settle back on Mandalore.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
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Initial tests suggested the outbreak may not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which was responsible for Congo’s devastating 2018-2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
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The archways are furnished with sluice gates that can open to allow excess water to pass through in periods of flooding.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
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Some residents said the country club contribues to flooding by opening its sluice gate when rain is forecast.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Something about seeing the gentle flow of an expansive body of water immediately calms the nerves, sending your mind into a state of sweet stillness.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
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An illustration showing how a stent can support blood flow in an artery.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Corporate interests should not be allowed to dig bottomless wells and siphon millions of gallons of water out of our aquifers.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
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Nebraska Democrats decried his last-minute candidacy as an example of the GOP meddling in their primary with a scheme to siphon votes away from Osborn in the fall.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Could the chicken from which the thigh and breast meat came, have consumed, weeks earlier, a toxic amount of psychedelics?—
Weike Wang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
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Thankfully, cleaning a mattress isn't hard to do or very time consuming.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Video of the shooting was captured on the home’s surveillance cameras and the body cameras worn by police, all of which was reviewed by Prescott’s office.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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Queen Camilla returned to her one of her go-to suede-and-leather cap-toe pumps, while Jessica Oyelowo wore black patent mary janes with floral and crystal detail.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drain. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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