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
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Holding onto declining practices drains resources from future growth.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The Sprague River, which drains the lands around Mount Mazuma, a key source of phosphorus, needs to be replumbed back to its old meandering ways and chock full of water plants to hold the phosphorus back.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
The watershed drains to the Wisconsin River.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Lavender prefers coarse, sandy soil that drains quickly.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2025
Build systems early, stay laser-focused on your mission and outsource what drains you.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2025
The water that drains from glaciers flows first into rivers and then eventually out to the sea.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2025
Water from the melting ice often drains into depressions once occupied by the glacier, creating large lakes.
—Suzanne Oconnell, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Noun
Though Good Boy gets by for a while on the strength of its performances and the sheer oddness of its plot, the flimsiness of its characters drains the film of energy long before its 110 minutes are up.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Holding onto declining practices drains resources from future growth.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The Sprague River, which drains the lands around Mount Mazuma, a key source of phosphorus, needs to be replumbed back to its old meandering ways and chock full of water plants to hold the phosphorus back.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
The watershed drains to the Wisconsin River.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Lavender prefers coarse, sandy soil that drains quickly.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2025
Build systems early, stay laser-focused on your mission and outsource what drains you.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2025
The water that drains from glaciers flows first into rivers and then eventually out to the sea.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2025
Water from the melting ice often drains into depressions once occupied by the glacier, creating large lakes.
—Suzanne Oconnell, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drains
Verb
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Vince Camuto Sindree Pump If Roberts’ brown pointed-toe heels caught your eye, these Vince Camuto pumps showcase a similar aesthetic.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Victor Sanchez pumps gas into his truck at an Arco gas station on August 28, 2025, in Mill Valley, California.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The whole ordeal exhausts the mother turtle.—
Taylor Hagood,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Aug. 2025
-
The idea of festivals just exhausts me.—
Meg Zukin,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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My mom is in her 60s and wears them regularly, too.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
The home team usually wears colors.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Each bottling of Gorovka, cut to 55% ABV, only partially empties the puncheon after which the barrel is topped up with fresh spirit.—
Don Tse,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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The boat ramp, which also serves as a fishing pier, sits close to a part of the river that empties out into the Long Island Sound.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Recycling foil helps reduce waste and minimizes the demand for raw aluminum production, a process that consumes about 95% more energy than recycling existing aluminum and generates significant greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
31 Aug. 2025
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Most industrial companies still treat maintenance as purely a cost center, something that consumes resources while adding little strategic value to the bottom line.—
Chris Turlica,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The front row already included senior outside hitter Tenley Davis, a Loyola commit with a team-high 180 kills this season, and junior outside hitter Luca Bombacino, a Michigan commit with 170 kills.—
Dave Melton,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Novartis’s radioligand therapy targets mutations in tumors, delivering radiation only where it is needed, unlike ordinary radiotherapy which kills non-cancerous cells as well as cancerous ones.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Bolster or reattach sagging gutters, tighten up screws, and seal any cracks or leaks with gutter sealant.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
1 Sep. 2025
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Remove standing water from your flowerpots, gutters, pool covers, pet dishes, or birdbaths.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The report taps dozens of data sources, including the census, Bureau of Labor Statistics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Musically, Byrne taps into modern-ish pop strategies via Harry Styles producer Kid Harpoon.—
Will Hermes,
Rolling Stone,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drains. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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