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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of draining
Fj Campbell, Fortune, 20 May 2026
Already carrying wider spans of control and shrinking development support, a manager operating against an outdated role definition is doing something more draining than managing a heavy workload.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
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
Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Plant your plum in a sunny location with well-draining soil, and provide occasional watering when the soil is dry.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 9 June 2026
None of those appear to have helped, with the rupiah weakening against the dollar to a record 18,190 on June 8, despite Jakarta draining its forex reserves to prop up the rupiah.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 June 2026
Powell is draining now, with or without water managers’ consent, Balken said.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
But the recession of 1969–70 hit New York hard, draining the city of half a million jobs.
—Kevin Lozano, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
Making the powder involves several steps, including milk testing and pasteurization, the separation of curds and whey, draining and pasteurizing the liquid whey, and then sending it to a processing facility to remove more liquid via evaporation and spray drying.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Scatter the seeds over loose, well-draining soil and cover them lightly with a thin layer of soil.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 1 June 2026
Science journalist Michaeleen Doucleff felt like her phone had superglue on it, holding her on it for hours each day while draining her of time and energy.
—Rebecca Ramirez, NPR, 1 June 2026
Adjective
Others are voluntarily asking to see more patients because the most draining and time-consuming parts of their job are now handled by AI.
—Fj Campbell, Fortune, 20 May 2026
Already carrying wider spans of control and shrinking development support, a manager operating against an outdated role definition is doing something more draining than managing a heavy workload.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
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
In a press release, the USDA urged pet and livestock owners to check their animals for draining or enlarging wounds, maggots or egg masses, signs of discomfort and lesions in body openings, such as the nose, ears, genitalia, and umbilical area.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Plant your plum in a sunny location with well-draining soil, and provide occasional watering when the soil is dry.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 9 June 2026
None of those appear to have helped, with the rupiah weakening against the dollar to a record 18,190 on June 8, despite Jakarta draining its forex reserves to prop up the rupiah.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 June 2026
Powell is draining now, with or without water managers’ consent, Balken said.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
But the recession of 1969–70 hit New York hard, draining the city of half a million jobs.
—Kevin Lozano, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
Making the powder involves several steps, including milk testing and pasteurization, the separation of curds and whey, draining and pasteurizing the liquid whey, and then sending it to a processing facility to remove more liquid via evaporation and spray drying.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Scatter the seeds over loose, well-draining soil and cover them lightly with a thin layer of soil.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 1 June 2026
Science journalist Michaeleen Doucleff felt like her phone had superglue on it, holding her on it for hours each day while draining her of time and energy.
—Rebecca Ramirez, NPR, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for draining
Adjective
-
Never has the exhausting task of people-pleasing felt so welcome.—
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson,
VIBE.com,
7 June 2026
-
The work was exhausting, but every new specimen brought fresh excitement.—
Sanaa El-Sayed,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
More than a hundred and sixty thousand students enrolled, pumping Tate’s content into algorithms already primed to amplify extreme ideas.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
The project, undertaken in coordination with the South Delta Water Agency, was intended to offset impacts from water exports by the Central Valley Project and State Water Project pumping plants.—
Reeti Malhotra
June 5,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Beatty, now 76, told me that the instability consuming the Kennedy Center is precisely what her lawsuit sought to stop.—
Janay Kingsberry,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
-
Among 79 people interviewed, 70 reported consuming a product containing moringa leaf powder before becoming ill, including four people who reported consuming TNVitamins moringa capsules, according to the FDA.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Those humans had been killing elk for a very long time and may have even followed the elk and bison onto the continent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
Anthony, now 19, was accused of killing Metcalf on April 2, 2025, at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
10 June 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
-
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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The sentencing date for two men who pleaded guilty to siphoning money from a campaign account belonging to gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra will be postponed for at least two months, court records show.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
-
Gen Z’s consumer behavior has already shown that this generation refuses to fit into the traditional marketing funnel, siphoning neatly from awareness to consideration to purchase.—
Brieane Olson,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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After spending some time by the pool, a semi-Olympic lined with emerald and malachite mosaics that glinted in the soft, ambient light, followed by a quick trip to the sauna, I was escorted to my treatment room, about a half-flight of stairs up, where I was met by Marcia, my therapist.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
These features help give you an idea of your most up-to-date financial status without spending much time manually logging information or allocating every dollar.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The actor David Merten, from the recent, Michael Urie-starring, gay version of Richard II, manages to both show off his arms and keep cool by wearing a pleated vest with no shirt underneath.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
7 June 2026
-
Seven European captains threatened to defy an order against wearing them, until, hours before England’s opening kickoff, FIFA announced that each would receive a yellow card.—
Chris Jones,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Draining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draining. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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