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
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
Simeon Wilcher comes off the bench for Texas and drains a trey from the baseline, and Texas has roared back into this game with a 7-0 run.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026
This happens when the oil drains from the engine overnight.
—John Paul, The Providence Journal, 20 Feb. 2026
But rather than emphasize the opportunity waiting to be seized, Shumer wraps his message in doomsday-packaging that drains the innovative and optimistic energy that should characterize this moment.
—Neil Chilson, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026
Once the cycle is complete, the washer usually drains the dirty water and progresses to the regular wash cycle.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 Feb. 2026
The life drains from her body on the floor of a ladies’ restroom.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 18 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
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
Simeon Wilcher comes off the bench for Texas and drains a trey from the baseline, and Texas has roared back into this game with a 7-0 run.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026
This happens when the oil drains from the engine overnight.
—John Paul, The Providence Journal, 20 Feb. 2026
But rather than emphasize the opportunity waiting to be seized, Shumer wraps his message in doomsday-packaging that drains the innovative and optimistic energy that should characterize this moment.
—Neil Chilson, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026
Once the cycle is complete, the washer usually drains the dirty water and progresses to the regular wash cycle.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 Feb. 2026
The life drains from her body on the floor of a ladies’ restroom.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 18 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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The pipe carries about 60 million gallons of wastewater daily from near Washington Dulles Airport in Virginia to a station that pumps it to an advanced wastewater treatment plant.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026
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As well, a burgundy Prada Raso Minaudière bag and crystal Gianvito Rossi pumps.—
Alice Newbold,
Vogue,
22 Feb. 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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This creamy balm-powder hybrid blends seamlessly, wears beautifully throughout the day, and comes in a range of flattering shades.—
Sara Tan,
Allure,
27 Feb. 2026
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Of course, that is who wears luxury clothing today – spend $100 on your Zara dress and $5,000 on your Gucci bag.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 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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Wi-Fi consumes more power, so the Wi-Fi routers that connect devices to each other and the internet typically have to be plugged into an outlet.—
Shreyas Sen,
The Conversation,
23 Feb. 2026
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My family consumes the world through a screen.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Nothing kills momentum faster than waffling on a big decision.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
23 Feb. 2026
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Clara bursts through a window and kills them all.—
John Kenney,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Clean your gutters and downspouts at least once a year (more often if they get clogged with leaves or other debris).—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Clogged gutters and downspouts.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
20 Feb. 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 1 Mar. 2026.
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