drain (away)

verb

Definition of drain (away)next
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drain (away)
  1. decrease
  2. diminish
  3. subside
  4. decline
  5. taper off
  6. fall away
  7. fall
Verb
  • Her priorities include lowering costs by expanding Medicaid, fully funded pre-kindergarten and decreasing property taxes in a sustainable way.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Taurine is a checkpoint of inflammation Dixit expected that taurine levels might decrease with age.
    — Kristel Tjandra, Hartford Courant, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • Members of Congress could be expected to resist presidential encroachments because those encroachments diminished their own power.
    — Stephanie A, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In theory, such an arrangement diminishes the cells’ ability to transport oxygen from the lungs.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • This means rough surf, beach erosion, and coastal flooding will slowly subside at the beaches through the weekend.
    — Steven Sosna, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Goldman Sachs also found that hedge funds sold tech stocks at a record pace last week, suggesting future selling pressure may subside.
    — Sean Conlon, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of subside
Verb
  • By comparison, reported federal employment declined by 4% among all other races included in the survey.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Salazar acknowledged polling had been conducted for strategic purposes, but declined to share it.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • Rain is expected to taper off after Tuesday morning's commute in Minnesota.
    — Katie Steiner, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The new policy would halt surgeries, taper off hormones and end social accommodations like makeup and wigs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of taper off
Verb
  • Stern says the taxane class of chemotherapy agents often cause nail side effects like this, where the nail plate becomes separated and falls away from the nail bed.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Like so many bleeding-edge New York bars and restaurants, this phenomenon could always fall away as soon as it was beloved enough to be missed.
    — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of fall away
Verb
  • Enrollment has fallen, empty seats cost money, and difficult choices are unavoidable.
    — Tim Lonergan, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The 6% lead for the No side falls outside the poll’s margin of error, which was around 3% according to PPIC.
    — Andrew Graham October 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of fall
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.

Browse Nearby Words

drain
drain (away)
drained
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Cite this Entry

“Drain (away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drain%20%28away%29. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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