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
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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
Tiffany Aliche, SELF, 30 Mar. 2026
When correctly implemented, first-time business owners can avoid many of the common time-draining processes.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
Hundreds of feet below that lake behind us the water is draining somewhere.
—Nicole Young, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Knueppel nearly recorded his first career triple-double, posting 26 points along with 11 rebounds and eight assists, draining 6 of 10 shots beyond the arc.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 27 Mar. 2026
The floor drain was not draining when the hand wash sink was in use.
—Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Celebrini has played a ton of hockey and logged a ton of minutes over the last six weeks, starting with six emotionally draining games in 11 days for Team Canada during the Winter Olympics in Milan.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Schedule a brief meeting to set fair deadlines so people understand how to support your goals without draining your reserves.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
And that bay is either filling or draining.
—Outside Online, 25 Mar. 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
No jumping back into draining obligations.
—Tiffany Aliche, SELF, 30 Mar. 2026
When correctly implemented, first-time business owners can avoid many of the common time-draining processes.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
Hundreds of feet below that lake behind us the water is draining somewhere.
—Nicole Young, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Knueppel nearly recorded his first career triple-double, posting 26 points along with 11 rebounds and eight assists, draining 6 of 10 shots beyond the arc.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 27 Mar. 2026
The floor drain was not draining when the hand wash sink was in use.
—Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Celebrini has played a ton of hockey and logged a ton of minutes over the last six weeks, starting with six emotionally draining games in 11 days for Team Canada during the Winter Olympics in Milan.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Schedule a brief meeting to set fair deadlines so people understand how to support your goals without draining your reserves.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
And that bay is either filling or draining.
—Outside Online, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for draining
Adjective
-
Does constant posting ever get exhausting to you?—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
That loss in Game 5 of the American League Division Series — a game that lasted 298 minutes, featured 15 pitchers, 22 runners left on base and too many twists and turns to count — marked the end of an exhausting, exhilarating stretch that took the team to the brink and back.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Recent studies in the New England Journal of Medicine previously showed that starting beta-blockers soon after a heart attack did not improve major outcomes for certain patients with normal heart pumping function.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
-
In a second, shorter video also shared to social media, Kid Rock is seen from a different angle pumping his fist at the first helicopter outside his house.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Amid public concern, federal health authorities have denied any reports of illnesses linked to consuming fish or seafood because of possible contamination.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The biggest misconception about microdramas, the panelists agreed, is who is consuming them.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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An unknown assailant shoots up the Vances' house during a Shabbat meal, before killing himself with a cyanide cigarette.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The measure passed, 363–117, killing the death penalty in France.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 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
-
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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This comes on the heels of a previous survey from the UC Berkeley Citrin Center which also showed the two GOP candidates leading, with the Democrats piled up behind them, seemingly siphoning votes from each other.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Eventually, Roosevelt broke with the Republican Party altogether, running for president on the Bull Moose ticket in 1912, siphoning off votes from his old party and handing the election to Woodrow Wilson.—
Gaby Del Valle,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Despite spending the majority of his life in North Carolina and part of his youth in Charlotte, Miller noted that the 49ers’ campus was completely different from his last time turning off Highway 49.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
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Newer models have refined the design and added more high-tech features, but the iPhone X offers that iconic modern-day iPhone aesthetic for much cheaper; instead of spending close to $1,000, this model costs less than $165.—
Cierra Cowan,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Other tips include riding defensively around cars, using front and rear lights, wearing reflective vests in the dark, and avoiding biking under the influence of drugs or alcohol.—
Sarah Raza,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Not if the other team comes out wearing Dallas sweaters.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Draining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draining. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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