as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
as the city lost population, its political influence drained away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drain (away)
Verb
-
For example, Social Security retirement benefits could decrease and pensions could stay the same.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
15 May 2026 -
As more time passes from the peak of the solar cycle, auroral activity will decrease.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Successive presidential administrations have done little to diminish alcohol’s harms.—
Lev Facher,
STAT,
12 May 2026
-
That evolution doesn’t diminish the importance of our core business.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Although fighting largely subsided weeks ago, the Strait of Hormuz, remains blocked.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
16 May 2026
-
That skepticism never fully subsided.—
Alonzo Martinez,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
McGrail says Janet declined and put an end to the evening.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Schoenbrun’s third feature, Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma stars Einbinder as an enthusiastic young director who is tasked with resurrecting the Camp Miasma slasher franchise after years of subpar sequels and declining fandom.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Their 3-point shooting quickly tapered off for the remainder of the game.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2026
-
The rain will gradually taper off midday Monday, followed by clearing and cooler weather Monday evening into Tuesday.—
Steven Sosna,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The business has since fallen away, but Lorenz’s archival pieces can be found online—Kate’s included.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
10 May 2026
-
The sense of a cultural in- and out-group dissolved as niche communities grew and old-school ideas of coolness fell away.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Only two were earned, but they were all deserved after Rodón fell apart in the third frame.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
17 May 2026
-
Chelsea’s squad demographic falls somewhere in between but is probably closer to the former than the latter, and a football legend with his resume should not encounter the authority problems faced by owner BlueCo’s previous hires.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Drain (away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drain%20%28away%29. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
