exhaust

Synonym Chooser

How is the word exhaust distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of exhaust are fatigue, jade, tire, and weary. While all these words mean "to make or become unable or unwilling to continue," exhaust implies complete draining of strength by hard exertion.

shoveling snow exhausted him

In what contexts can fatigue take the place of exhaust?

Although the words fatigue and exhaust have much in common, fatigue suggests great lassitude from excessive strain or undue effort.

fatigued by the day's chores

When can jade be used instead of exhaust?

The words jade and exhaust are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, jade suggests the loss of all freshness and eagerness.

appetites jaded by overindulgence

When could tire be used to replace exhaust?

The meanings of tire and exhaust largely overlap; however, tire implies a draining of one's strength or patience.

the long ride tired us out

Where would weary be a reasonable alternative to exhaust?

While in some cases nearly identical to exhaust, weary stresses tiring until one is unable to endure more of the same thing.

wearied of the constant arguing

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 exhaust Maybe we were exhausted from the backbreaking labor. Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025 The water hung around for a long time and was not exhausted so quickly as thought. Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Under the settlement agreement, UIA is prevented from collecting overpayments until protest or appeal rights have been exhausted and claimants are given a chance to request a waiver based on financial hardship, administrative or clerical error or a wage reporting error. Adrienne Roberts, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025 With all other options seemingly exhausted, Una and Spock decide to take another path by getting in touch with their crewmates’ katras, roughly the Vulcan term for the soul, though the Vulcans would probably not want to use that term. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exhaust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exhaust
Verb
  • Then eventually, the fish starts to tire out.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • So people shouldn’t swim against the current, which puts them at risk of tiring out.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Add to this poor emotional literacy, a lack of transparency, back-to-back meetings and the energy-draining complexity of navigating competing priorities.
    Sandro da Silva, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Reopening is dependent on how well the area drains.
    Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The photo released shows what appears to be a man wearing a largely black outfit with an American flag on his shirt, a black cap, and black sunglasses.
    Connor Greene, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Posing next to Colman Domingo and Salma Hayek Pinault (who wore an elegant black Balenciaga suit dress), Moore’s glitzy look shone.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Ford dropped it from the Explorer’s retail lineup, but continues to offer it in police vehicles, which benefit from its ability to power AC and other accessories without running the engine when parked, as patrol vehicles often spend lots of time doing.
    Mark Phelan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • California’s legal fight to get those funds back–which hadn’t been spent–will take months if not years to resolve.
    Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Utah police on Friday arrested Tyler Robinson for allegedly killing right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, although his potential motive remains hazy.
    Claire Cameron, semafor.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Key Background Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was killed in an unprovoked attack on a commuter rail in Charlotte, North Carolina, in August.
    Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Participants in the study who often consumed chilis also had a 34 percent lower chance of dying of cardiovascular disease.
    Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
  • But his own research found that the countries with the lowest fracture rates are actually those that consume the least milk.
    Alana Semuels, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The food eventually got to the table, but, boy, were there plenty of shattered plates and busted chairs along the path.
    Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Downtrodden ultra-nerd janitor Melvin Ferd (Mark Torgl) takes a tumble into a massive vat of nuclear waste and becomes the titular crime-busting monster (Mitch Cohen) — part Superman, part Swamp Thing, completely toxic.
    Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • His team accused Whatley of distorting the facts to cover for his support of federal policies that reduced funding for local police.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Valentino has been streamlining its wholesale channel, reduced by about 20 percent in 2024, a strategy that continued in 2025 and that is expected to impact its year-end performance.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Exhaust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exhaust. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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