1
as in stressful
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in exhaustive
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in tiring
to use up all the physical energy of
the long day at the county fair had exhausted everyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in draining
to make complete use of
we had been at the theme park barely for two hours, and we were on the verge of exhausting our spending money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 exhausting
Ahmir “questlove” Thompson, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026
The work was exhausting, but every new specimen brought fresh excitement.
—Sanaa El-Sayed, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
It's been lonely and exhausting, fighting a battle in my own brain while trying to show up like everything is okay and receive comments daily on my body.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Memories of those early, exhausting days of fatherhood cannot be extricated from the challenges of rewriting a particularly thorny vignette.
—Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
To the Dragonite and Snorlax pulls, and the moments in the group chat that make a two-month playoff run feel slightly less exhausting.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Much less attention was paid to the fact that Martha herself was documenting the exhausting social labor of managing escalating male attention in real time.
—Kate Casey, Vanity Fair, 2 June 2026
And also just moving for 80-straight minutes is exhausting.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
The child who won't let you out of their sight can feel exhausting and suffocating, but actually, this behavior is another sign of solid parenting.
—Sarah Scott, Parents, 1 June 2026
Bronwen Sciortino, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Sliding effortlessly from incisive observer to chaotic flirt to exhausting narcissist, Firstman is never not in on the joke.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Martinez on Thursday did not discuss details of the plan but said the city was exhausting all its options while seeking more ways to cut costs.
—Abby Church, Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2026
In some ways, the Wolfpack were already destined for a reset, with veterans like Tre Holloman, Darrion Williams, Quadir Copeland and Ven-Allen Lubin all exhausting their eligibility.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Instead, America seems to be exhausting itself and its arsenals in the Middle East.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
The Pernes just couldn’t bring themselves to close the store, at least not without exhausting every other option first.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
Both countries aim to counter cheap, high-volume threats without exhausting high-value interceptors.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Apr. 2026
Most people who reach out to Gahl do so after exhausting nearly every other option and cycling through multiple specialists and medical centers.
—Alexandra Sifferlin, STAT, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Never has the exhausting task of people-pleasing felt so welcome.
—Ahmir “questlove” Thompson, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026
The work was exhausting, but every new specimen brought fresh excitement.
—Sanaa El-Sayed, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
It's been lonely and exhausting, fighting a battle in my own brain while trying to show up like everything is okay and receive comments daily on my body.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Memories of those early, exhausting days of fatherhood cannot be extricated from the challenges of rewriting a particularly thorny vignette.
—Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
To the Dragonite and Snorlax pulls, and the moments in the group chat that make a two-month playoff run feel slightly less exhausting.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Much less attention was paid to the fact that Martha herself was documenting the exhausting social labor of managing escalating male attention in real time.
—Kate Casey, Vanity Fair, 2 June 2026
And also just moving for 80-straight minutes is exhausting.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
The child who won't let you out of their sight can feel exhausting and suffocating, but actually, this behavior is another sign of solid parenting.
—Sarah Scott, Parents, 1 June 2026
Verb
But eventually, the structure itself needs to be questioned, because getting that balance right becomes the difference between retaining strong leaders and slowly exhausting them.
—Bronwen Sciortino, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Sliding effortlessly from incisive observer to chaotic flirt to exhausting narcissist, Firstman is never not in on the joke.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Martinez on Thursday did not discuss details of the plan but said the city was exhausting all its options while seeking more ways to cut costs.
—Abby Church, Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2026
In some ways, the Wolfpack were already destined for a reset, with veterans like Tre Holloman, Darrion Williams, Quadir Copeland and Ven-Allen Lubin all exhausting their eligibility.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Instead, America seems to be exhausting itself and its arsenals in the Middle East.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
The Pernes just couldn’t bring themselves to close the store, at least not without exhausting every other option first.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
Both countries aim to counter cheap, high-volume threats without exhausting high-value interceptors.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Apr. 2026
Most people who reach out to Gahl do so after exhausting nearly every other option and cycling through multiple specialists and medical centers.
—Alexandra Sifferlin, STAT, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exhausting
Adjective
-
An almost-obsessive devotion to comfort, knowing that your roster of responsibilities is stressful enough without the annoyance of stiff, stuffy clothing.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
-
The authors specifically didn’t focus on work productivity, for example, or individual benefits, such as skipping stressful commutes or spending extra time with family.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
The bottom line The above list of mortgage rate mistakes is not exhaustive but, by avoiding these three specific ones, borrowers can improve their chances of success this month and in the months ahead.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
-
Or its operatives spend weeks getting a segment ready for air, and get to do more immersive reporting and exhaustive research that other news outlets would simply not allow, particularly in an era dominated by streaming and social media.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Shenzhen startup EngineAI can be forgiven for tiring out its PM01 humanoid.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 June 2026
-
These design aspects allow users to operate it for extended periods without tiring or switching between different power outlets.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a press release, the USDA urged pet and livestock owners to check their animals for draining or enlarging wounds, maggots or egg masses, signs of discomfort and lesions in body openings, such as the nose, ears, genitalia, and umbilical area.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
-
Plant your plum in a sunny location with well-draining soil, and provide occasional watering when the soil is dry.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
JSerra navigated a difficult regular-season schedule, then avoided upsets in the playoffs.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
But the strength of his acidic, strong, difficult performance was too powerful for the Tonys to deny.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Xi also pledged to work with North Korea to promote fair and orderly multilateralism and inclusive economic globalisation, with long-term regional peace and stability a common pursuit.—
Jack Kim,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
-
Family life in Mexico is also centered on collectivist values—a factor that often translates into a warm, inclusive approach toward foreigners.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The actor David Merten, from the recent, Michael Urie-starring, gay version of Richard II, manages to both show off his arms and keep cool by wearing a pleated vest with no shirt underneath.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
7 June 2026
-
Seven European captains threatened to defy an order against wearing them, until, hours before England’s opening kickoff, FIFA announced that each would receive a yellow card.—
Chris Jones,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Beatty, now 76, told me that the instability consuming the Kennedy Center is precisely what her lawsuit sought to stop.—
Janay Kingsberry,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
-
Among 79 people interviewed, 70 reported consuming a product containing moringa leaf powder before becoming ill, including four people who reported consuming TNVitamins moringa capsules, according to the FDA.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exhausting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exhausting. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
