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
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
Dominic Boyer, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026
Fill it two-thirds with lightweight well-draining potting mix.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
That visual disorder may be quietly draining your mental energy, too.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Employees described the last week as emotionally draining.
—Briseida Holguin, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
There was Anthony Edwards brashly asking Watson if the Nuggets planned to foul up three at the end of regulation, before draining an incredible shot to force overtime.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
Rich, neutral, moist, well-draining Sedum (also known as stonecrop) comes in creeping or upright varieties.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 12 Apr. 2026
Emotional ups and downs are draining as the moon and sun clash.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
While attacks are currently focused on financial fraud and draining the accounts of victims, InfoBlox says the level of access these trojans offer would allow expansion into extortion, blackmail, and corporate breaches including ransomware attacks on companies.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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
Because much of the area has flat, poorly draining soils, this watershed has become a bottleneck that can rapidly overflow during heavy rains.
—Dominic Boyer, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026
Fill it two-thirds with lightweight well-draining potting mix.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
That visual disorder may be quietly draining your mental energy, too.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Employees described the last week as emotionally draining.
—Briseida Holguin, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
There was Anthony Edwards brashly asking Watson if the Nuggets planned to foul up three at the end of regulation, before draining an incredible shot to force overtime.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
Rich, neutral, moist, well-draining Sedum (also known as stonecrop) comes in creeping or upright varieties.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 12 Apr. 2026
Emotional ups and downs are draining as the moon and sun clash.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
While attacks are currently focused on financial fraud and draining the accounts of victims, InfoBlox says the level of access these trojans offer would allow expansion into extortion, blackmail, and corporate breaches including ransomware attacks on companies.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for draining
Adjective
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But others, as your letter demonstrates, might find the cost and effort exhausting.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
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Holed up for 21 exhausting hours with their Iranian counterparts, the American amateur trio had to hold multiple opposed ideas in their minds at the same time while retaining the ability to function.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The pumping plant draws its power from California’s main electric grid, and that will continue.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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State officials said when the equipment is working at full capacity, the hydroelectric turbines can move nearly one-third more water through the dam than previously, pumping an additional 2,000 cubic feet per second.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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What mattered was the relationship between the people creating the content and the audience consuming it.—
Jonathan Hunt,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
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With the new Iran war consuming international attention and Israel escalating strikes in Lebanon, diplomatic pressure for meaningful progress in Gaza has dramatically weakened.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Suspect faces numerous charges Prosecutors say Greene fired multiple shots into a crowd of people, killing Kaori and injuring her 2-year-old brother.—
Christina Fan,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Russian strikes hit more than a half-dozen areas of Ukraine behind the front line from Tuesday to Wednesday, killing an 8-year-old boy in the central Cherkasy region and a woman who was in a kiosk near a bus stop that was hit in southern Zaporizhzhia, according to Zelenskyy and local officials.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 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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In New York, staged auto accidents, medical mills, and a lax threshold for awarding payouts are siphoning money from drivers, municipalities, and the MTA alike.—
Ike Brannon,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
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Stefan Pildes, 50, is facing federal wire fraud charges that accuse him of siphoning hundreds of thousands of dollars in charitable funds for his own use, including for concert tickets and vacations.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The airline was also trying to bring in higher-spending customers with bigger seats and bundled fares to compete with rival airlines.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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On Wednesday, Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius announced that the Netherlands was spending 248 million euros ($292 million) on drones for the Ukrainian military.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That moment came courtesy of a guy wearing a Cubs uniform, but Monday grew up in Santa Monica and delivered his spontaneous commemoration of Flag Day in the year of America’s bicentennial.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
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And the University of San Francisco issued a public safety warning to students after a man wearing Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses was suspected of filming women with the intention of posting the videos online.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Draining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draining. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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