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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in exhausts

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in wears

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 The all-in-one dock cleans the spinning dual mops with hot water, dries them with warm air to prevent musty smells, and automatically drains and refills the water tank. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 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 Once your washer drains, that water becomes wastewater alongside everything flowing from sinks, showers, toilets and dishwashers. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026 Not Improving Drainage Mums won’t thrive in soil that drains poorly and stays too soggy. — Lynn Coulter, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2026 While voters’ choices have been, more often than not, defensible, the unanimity betrays a lack of imagination and drains any hint of drama from the ceremony. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 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

Using electrodes in its pull-up handle, the scale tracks more than 60 metrics, now including hypertension risk and how efficiently the heart pumps blood—a first for a home scale, according to Withings.

— Eliza Thompson, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Other pieces for Middleton’s Belfast look included a set of Gianvito Rossi pumps in black leather, along with a green Mulberry top-handle handbag.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 9 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

Among the terminated is a welder, Choi Ho-seok (Sul Kyung-gu), who wears a frown so implacable that it might have been etched in steel.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Doncic loves his two daughters — Gabriela, 2, and Olivia, 10 months — and wears their initials on his shoes during games.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 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

In the end, Matt kills everybody who wronged him (plus several innocent people), and is forced to live as a reclusive mud monster in the sewers.

— Jordan Moreau, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
Crime, courts and policing A man kills his teenage ex-girlfriend in Arcadia and then shoots himself.

— Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026