DRAINS Synonyms: 167 Similar and Opposite Words

drains 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of drain

as in pumps

to remove (liquid) gradually or completely we drained the water from the tank before cleaning it

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as in exhausts

to make complete use of virtually drained the country's natural resources

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as in wears

to use up all the physical energy of the long hike drained us

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drains

2 of 2

noun

plural of drain

as in sluices

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as in flows

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of drains

Verb

The weak low-end response drains some instruments of their heft. — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026 Constantly saying 'yes' to everything and everyone drains us of time and energy. — Margaret Cirino, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026 Patching up an outdated, aging infrastructure — like decades-old HVAC, electrical systems and leaking roofs — is a costly, short-term fix that drains our resources and ends up costing the community more. — Daily Southtown, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 In Heavy Soil with Poor Drainage Any place in your yard that has heavy soil due to a high clay content, drains poorly because it’s compacted, or is a low spot is not suitable for most bulbs. — Nadia Hassani, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2026 Until, suddenly, the life drains from his eyes, sometimes for barely a second, and returning before anyone else in the scene notices. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026 When ground ice melts and water drains away, the surface can subside. — Ming Xiao, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026 Nothing drains a team faster than not knowing which version of leadership will show up today. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026 Calderas form when the ground above a magma reservoir collapses as the magma drains away. — Yook Ji Hun, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 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

The costume is the perfect excuse to dig out your skinny jeans, going-out top and pumps for a throwback to the aughts—a scary thought in itself.

— Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026
Hilton has made the promise of $3 a gallon gasoline at California’s pumps a central plank of his affordability campaign.

— Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of pumps

Verb

That pretty much exhausts the points of agreement between the pro- and anti-Proposition 40 camps.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Instead of occupying both sides with large cooling vents, air enters toward the front of the station and exhausts through the rear.

— Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of exhausts

Verb

Linda Noskova wears Missoni shorts and a jacket and white leather trench by The Frankie Shop; Miista boots.

— Corey Seymour, Vogue, 6 Nov. 2026
The Puch wears race-spec WP suspension forks sourced from a 1993 Aprilia RS 125 R Grand Prix racer, along with a single-sided swingarm from the same machine.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of wears

Noun

Officials urged displaced residents to check on their properties, clear gutters and remove debris before the rain arrives.

— Jasmine Viel, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Rural roads lack curbs, gutters and sidewalks, and small farms with livestock are allowed and encouraged.

— Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of gutters

Verb

Its all-in-one dock automatically empties debris, refills water, and washes and dries the mop pads to prevent odors.

— Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2026
That access can be a convenience for paying bills, or a problem if one owner empties the account without the other’s agreement.

— Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of empties

Verb

Memory maintenance consumes computing resources, and excessive information can overwhelm future sessions.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
In this conception of macroeconomics, the economy consists of a massive input-output table where every cell in the matrix is a sector that consumes other cells’ outputs and provides inputs to other producers.

— Oliver Melton, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of consumes

Verb

Selena is offended, and splashes him with the liquid, which burns and kills him.

— William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026
The deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma, kills more than 8,000 Americans a year and in Connecticut, nearly 900 people will be diagnosed each year.

— Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 30 Oct. 2026