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
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
Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
Dramatic rescue: Firefighters pulled an 8-year-old girl from a sewer drain after she was trapped for seven hours in Guizhou, China.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 30 June 2025
ArsTechnica, 9 July 2025
This could lead to feeling emotionally drained or overwhelmed, but the key is to confront what’s hidden beneath the surface.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for drain
Verb
Flushing drains with boiling water, baking soda and vinegar, or enzymatic cleaners can help dissolve organic residue.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
Dramatic rescue: Firefighters pulled an 8-year-old girl from a sewer drain after she was trapped for seven hours in Guizhou, China.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 30 June 2025
Noun
That might be true, but using the larger internal screen will drain the battery faster and could leave you looking for a charger in the evening.
—ArsTechnica, 9 July 2025
This could lead to feeling emotionally drained or overwhelmed, but the key is to confront what’s hidden beneath the surface.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for drain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drain
Verb
-
Mize otherwise pumped his fastball to stay in advantageous counts.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
-
Then came the devastating diagnosis: dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart becomes enlarged and weakened, leaving it unable to pump blood effectively.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
Verb
-
Until 2023, Horgan spent 14 years defending insurance companies for the firms Banker, Lopez, Gassler and Pennington P.A. Horgan approved levying court fees and costs against policyholders in nine cases, including five that dropped their claims before their hearings commenced.—
Ron Hurtibise,
Sun Sentinel,
12 July 2025
-
Her illness has left her with irreparable dental damage—forcing her to spend thousands of dollars to restore her smile, a painful and permanent reminder of her eating disorder.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
In that incident, a rooftop gunman fired at Trump from roughly 150 yards away, grazing his right ear and killing one attendee, Corey Comperatore, before Secret Service agents shot the attacker dead.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
12 July 2025
-
ATCs are under particular scrutiny after January’s crash in the US capital between an airliner and a military helicopter, which killed 67: Experts believe human error played a role.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
11 July 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
-
Six bombs or missiles reportedly targeted entry and exit points to block attempts to evacuate the building and disrupt air flow inside.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
-
That’s because the quick-drying fabric of these pants is perforated throughout, promoting air flow on hot, humid days.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
Hemp was brilliant at the Women’s World Cup the next year, having to tap in to her versatility when Sarina Wiegman changed her position.—
Karen Carney,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
-
Victoria wore a Vera Wang wedding dress For the ceremony, Victoria tapped Vera Wang to create a silk pleated ballgown in a champagne hue featuring a sculptural strapless neckline and a 20-foot train.—
Ariana Quihuiz,
People.com,
4 July 2025
Verb
-
For most people, garlic supplements or garlic pills are a safe and convenient way to consume garlic when taken in the amounts directed.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
14 July 2025
-
The civil penalties can consume the entire balance of an account, so be careful.—
Robert W. Wood,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
The deceased woman was also wearing a black necklace with a cross that family said belonged to DiNapoli, according to court documents.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
11 July 2025
-
Kemp says that having the Bryan brothers and Dabrowski wearing the product adds immediate credibility but also provides value to RIA when making product decisions.—
Tim Newcomb,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drain. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share