1
as in pumps
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely
we drained the water from the tank before cleaning it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in exhausts
to make complete use of
virtually drained the country's natural resources
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wears
to use up all the physical energy of
the long hike drained us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drains
Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
Choose a commercial seed-starting mix that is loose and drains well.
—Holly McNamara, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
If water drains within a day, that’s fast draining.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
The problem is that backcountry travel drains battery life quickly.
—Jayme Moye, Outside, 5 Mar. 2026
Lavender prefers coarse, sandy soil that drains quickly.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
Such a conviction, which appears in many more novels than Smallwood’s, drains fiction of life.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
Many gardeners are plagued with sandy soil that drains too quickly, clay soil that retains water too long, or soil that simply doesn’t produce very vigorous plants.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
If your battery suddenly drains much faster than normal, especially after no major app changes, that can be a red flag.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 25 Jan. 2026
Below, San Angelo gives us several methods for cleaning bathroom sink drains, her best tips on how to avoid a clogged bathroom sink, and what to avoid when cleaning your bathroom sink drain.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
Pack drains a 3 and is up to 19 points, and Texas is on the verge of tumbling to the 10th seed in the SEC Tournament and back onto the NCAA bubble.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
Choose a commercial seed-starting mix that is loose and drains well.
—Holly McNamara, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
If water drains within a day, that’s fast draining.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
The problem is that backcountry travel drains battery life quickly.
—Jayme Moye, Outside, 5 Mar. 2026
Lavender prefers coarse, sandy soil that drains quickly.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
Such a conviction, which appears in many more novels than Smallwood’s, drains fiction of life.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
Many gardeners are plagued with sandy soil that drains too quickly, clay soil that retains water too long, or soil that simply doesn’t produce very vigorous plants.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
If your battery suddenly drains much faster than normal, especially after no major app changes, that can be a red flag.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Noun
Descaling and Unclogging Uses Use cleaning vinegar to unclog stubborn drains by adding 1 cup of baking soda to your drain followed by 1 cup of cleaning vinegar, says Dills.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 25 Jan. 2026
Below, San Angelo gives us several methods for cleaning bathroom sink drains, her best tips on how to avoid a clogged bathroom sink, and what to avoid when cleaning your bathroom sink drain.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drains
Verb
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Zendaya's take, paired with that of her stylist Law Roach's vision, ensured the outfit was kept classic by pairing it with her longtime go-to shoe, the So Kate pumps from Christian Louboutin.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
12 Mar. 2026
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This tour features the accustomed three blue-skinned performers (drawn from the dozens of actors/musicians who’ve been trained to do the various shows) plus another character, The Rock Star, a female multi-instrumentalists who pumps the soundtrack for the Blue Men’s alien antics.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Board member Nicole Gribstad also urged the committee to include an option that delays such a decision and exhausts all other financial alternatives before closing schools.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
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But freedom of expression is a constant pursuit, as natural as breathing, and silencing it is an imperfect practice that exhausts the oppressor and energizes the oppressed.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The slacker wears his ability to avoid traditional employment like a fancy Panama hat.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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One TikTok user asked if Crowe ever wears his own watches in his movies.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Every weekday before dawn, Deltona empties itself onto I-4.—
Christopher Bellingham,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
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The bustling evening market, where locals gather for tacos, now empties out early.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For example, one weekend session saw Cheyenne Hunt, executive director of Gen Z for Change, and Washington Post staffer Dylan Wells discuss how the public consumes news.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Mar. 2026
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But that also consumes about 5% of the country's overall electricity, according to a study by Tel Aviv University.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The film centers on a celebrated Filipino chef who secretly kills supernatural creatures and serves them to his unsuspecting clientele — until those creatures return for revenge.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
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Talented, outrageous, and difficult, Ruby kills both onstage and off.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Clogged or Damaged Gutters and Drain Spouts Ice and snow can clog your gutters and drain spouts, causing water to overflow and create damage to your roof, siding, and landscape.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
16 Mar. 2026
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Check that gutters are firmly attached and not pulling away from the roofline.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Constantly landing on jokes — like in its portrayal of Lockjaw and his efforts to become a member of the Christmas Adventurers Club, a powerful white-supremacists faction — siphons a sense of urgency from the film’s sketches of American unrest and white male violence.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
24 Nov. 2025
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The filing comes days after Spotify was accused in another class action lawsuit of permitting massive amounts of streaming fraud on its platform, which siphons royalties from artists whose numbers aren’t artificially inflated.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drains. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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