as in exhausting
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1
as in pumping
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely
we drained the water from the tank before cleaning it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in consuming
to make complete use of
virtually drained the country's natural resources
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in killing
to use up all the physical energy of
the long hike drained us
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of draining
Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.
—Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Grow crocosmia in moist, organically rich, well-draining soil in full sun to light shade.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
Plant black-eyed Susan in average, well-draining soil and water it during dry spells.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
The geopolitical conflict in the Middle East is actively draining the American wallet.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
The perfusionist questioned the decision to stop disinfecting the units, saying his concern with draining was that if the tanks weren’t completely dry and still contained moisture, bacteria could form.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Asch recommends finding a driver-friendly activity to make time on the road feel less draining, such as listening to an audiobook or podcast.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.
—Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
Shane Lowry has the distinction of draining one of the more memorable putts in recent golf history.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Grow crocosmia in moist, organically rich, well-draining soil in full sun to light shade.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
Plant black-eyed Susan in average, well-draining soil and water it during dry spells.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
The geopolitical conflict in the Middle East is actively draining the American wallet.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
The perfusionist questioned the decision to stop disinfecting the units, saying his concern with draining was that if the tanks weren’t completely dry and still contained moisture, bacteria could form.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for draining
Adjective
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An exhausting, preachy, frankly, boring and outdated version of his former self.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Suddenly, mixed signals are exhausting, because actions speak louder than words.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The hearts of these sharks showed severe fibrosis, which happens when scar tissue accumulates and causes stiffness that can impair pumping over time, the researchers wrote.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
4 May 2026
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The Royals were down to their final two outs in the top of the ninth inning, with tough closer Andres Munoz pumping high-velocity fastballs on the mound.—
Jaylon Thompson
May 3,
Kansas City Star,
3 May 2026
Verb
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King warned that the war would devour Johnson’s ambition for a Great Society, consuming the resources meant to relieve poverty here at home.—
Mark Conway,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
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Matters involving architectural reviews and approvals can become particularly contentious and time consuming for homeowner associations, especially in large communities.—
Nicole R. Kurtz,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Verb
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On Saturday, Moscow pummeled the central city of Dnipro and other areas for more than twenty hours with barrages of missiles and drones, killing at least seven people.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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The coastal Georgia man arrested in 2018 and accused of torturing, killing and burying his two teenage children in the backyard of the family’s mobile home will spend the rest of his life behind bars after reaching a plea deal.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But the most mentally fatiguing aspect, the work found, was having to constantly supervise the AI tools, with some employees overseeing multiple AI agents performing different tasks at the same time.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
12 Mar. 2026
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My friend was in course of opening up his country house unassisted, and after a fatiguing day discovered that the only practical bed was a child’s affair— long enough but scarcely wider than a crib.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But many of Lamont’s fellow Democrats in the legislature’s majority have argued for the past two years that Connecticut saves too aggressively, siphoning dangerously large amounts from town aid and other core programs and effectively forcing one generation to solve a problem created by three.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
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Authorities announced the arrest Wednesday of a Long Island PTA mom accused of siphoning more than $50,000 from an elementary school over a three-year span while she was employed as a New York Police Department officer.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Charging documents allege 45-year-old Kelley Ann Haley used the club's debit cards for hundreds of unauthorized purchases and ATM withdrawals between 2019 and early 2025, spending the money on personal expenses, including travel, shopping, and utility bills.—
Caroline Foreback,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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That's unfathomably more than in the past election, when spending on the races totaled less than $1 million.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Verb
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One image showed Alba enjoying a more casual meal with her pal while wearing an LA baseball cap.—
Sarah Sotoodeh,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
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Emma Bailey Leary, who manages events for Bart’s Books, the town’s storied outdoor bookshop, wandered in wearing head-to-toe fuchsia.—
Priyanka Mattoo,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Draining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draining. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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