DRAIN (AWAY) Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

drain (away)

verb

Definition of drain (away)

as in to decrease

to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually as the city lost population, its political influence drained away

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for drain (away)

Verb

Winds will very slowly decrease late Saturday night into early Sunday morning behind the cold front.

— CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026
What else changes Although officer staffing has fallen in recent years, violent crime has also decreased by about 40% since 2021, according to IMPD data.

— Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of decrease

Verb

Foreign central banks and other institutions looking for a safe place to park their capital have diminished roles in the Treasury market and have increasingly turned to alternative havens like gold.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026
These stabs at earnestness do nothing to diminish the feeling of the concert film being little more than a cash grab.

— Elena Lazic, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of diminish

Verb

In recent weeks, new cases and deaths have declined in Ituri province, the outbreak's epicenter, but risen sharply in neighboring North Kivu and Haut-Uele, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said at a weekly briefing.

— JEAN-YVES KAMALE, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
Headen declined to claim responsibility for any of the posts.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of decline

Verb

However, Brissett's play tapered off after he was hobbled by a knee injury.

— James Boyd, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Activity scheduling generally follows daily circadian rhythms, so more intensive experiences are clustered in the mornings, with a smattering in the afternoon that tapers off in time for slow sunset yoga or meditation.

— Jessica Ritz, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of taper off

Verb

Crags barely visible from the ground reared up above us, and deep crevasses fell away below.

— Holden Frith, TheWeek, 4 Sep. 2026
Fading Leaves As plants channel energy toward their roots and stop growing, their leaves may begin to yellow or fall away entirely.

— Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of fall away

Verb

The key to why scores are falling so widely may be found in an accompanying survey taken by students.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Volatility tends to ease in November, with the VIX falling around 4% as the midterm results remove a key political overhang and provide investors with greater clarity on the policy backdrop, said James Ooi, market strategist at Tiger Brokers.

— Joanna Ossinger,Justina Lee, CNBC, 10 Sep. 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.

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drain

drain (away)

drained

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“Drain (away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drain%20%28away%29. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of drain (away)

verb

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