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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
In the video, a man can be seen sitting next to a drain passing down belongings, apparently pillows and food parcels, to someone inside the drain—all that was visible from the clip was a person's hand reaching up out of the drain. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025 When the peaches have cooled, drain, peel, halve and pit them. Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 29 July 2025
Noun
The Alamo City facilities, owned by Microsoft and the Army Corps, have drained water from the surrounding area despite difficult drought conditions throughout Texas. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025 Previously, scientists believed meltwater generally flowed down from the surface to the ice base, eventually draining into the ocean. Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 31 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for drain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drain
Verb
  • Supporters, led by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, plan to pump millions of dollars into a campaign in favor of the referendum.
    Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The heart must work harder to pump the thick blood, which may increase blood pressure.
    Ayesha Gulzar, Verywell Health, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Beijing has long lacked the enforcement procedures to crack down on investors who spend at least half the year in China but evade a 20% tax on overseas income.
    J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 17 Aug. 2025
  • The song, which spent four weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997, had the crowd singing along as the group put their own spin on the iconic ’90s hit.
    Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The storm killed more than 400 people and caused more than $100 million in damage, or $2.3 billion in today’s dollars.
    Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Most of the strikes occur in the summer, killing 20 people each year, according to the NWS.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 16 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • During an extreme-rainfall event, the force of the water cascading down these straightened sluices meets with no resistance from meanders, and a river often has no way of reaching its floodplains—frequently now developed—which could absorb and store some runoff.
    John Seabrook, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • Squeezing Russia’s oil revenues via secondary tariffs also means throttling the flow of its oil into global markets where prices are set.
    Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
  • But if the flow is more akin to being thrown into a river and desperately trying to keep your head above water, your experience mirrors that of Ocean.
    Elaine U. Cho August 5, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • This taps into the sober curious trend driving herbal tea growth at a 6% CAGR through 2029, according to Fortune Business Insights.
    Douglas Yu, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Does that tap into the idea of Ricochet as a whole?
    Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Together, these two foods accounted for nearly one in every seven calories consumed in the average American diet, according to the CDC report.
    Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Tailgating or consuming alcohol in the festival parking lot is prohibited and will be strictly enforced.
    Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Gastineau and Favre were surrounded by multiple onlookers and Gastineau wore a microphone provided by the film crew.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Aug. 2025
  • The Klan was more than happy to wear white after Labor Day too.
    Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Drain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drain. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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