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
  • Once their ships turned away, the tension dramatically decreased, though hours later China Coast Guard ships could be seen in the distance still shadowing the Philippine vessels.
    — Ivan Watson, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • Air pollution is severe in many cities and industrial regions and is estimated to have caused the average life expectancy of Indians to decrease by more than three years in 2022.
    — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • None of these concerns diminish the strength of the Jersey Mike’s brand.
    — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • At 28 years old, clubs will also factor in his diminishing resale value.
    — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • Eventually, the helicopter ejaculates a waterfall from its door, and the storm subsides.
    — Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • And once the temp subsides, a secret weapon like this can hide away in your hall closet until things heat up again.
    — Lindsey Mather, Architectural Digest, 16 July 2026
Definition of subside
Verb
  • Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson, who previously oversaw the prosecution against Hermes, declined to comment on the closed criminal case or Hermes’ campaign.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
  • However, declining vaccination rates fueled by vaccine hesitancy have created pockets of susceptible individuals where the virus can spread quickly.
    — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • The rain will be tapering off and skies will be clearing in the afternoon.
    — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • The rain was expected to taper off, but another round of showers worsened already swollen rivers and flooded rural communities near the border with Mexico that had largely been spared major damage.
    — Jesse Bedayn, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
Definition of taper off
Verb
  • This was decided by the storage capacity of early records and commercially reified for decades after the practical limitations fell away.
    — Brian Howe, Pitchfork, 21 July 2026
  • Keep an eye out for flowers in which the petals and stamens have fallen away completely.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 21 July 2026
Definition of fall away
Verb
  • The Odyssey are being produced by Insight Editions for late summer and fall releases.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • The situation becomes less complicated if a mango from a neighbor’s tree falls onto your property.
    — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 23 July 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 26 Jul. 2026.

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