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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word drain distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of drain are bankrupt, deplete, exhaust, and impoverish. While all these words mean "to deprive of something essential to existence or potency," drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence.

personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit

When might bankrupt be a better fit than drain?

The synonyms bankrupt and drain are sometimes interchangeable, but bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse.

war had bankrupted the nation of resources

When can deplete be used instead of drain?

Although the words deplete and drain have much in common, deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function.

depleting our natural resources

When is exhaust a more appropriate choice than drain?

In some situations, the words exhaust and drain are roughly equivalent. However, exhaust stresses a complete emptying.

her lecture exhausted the subject

When would impoverish be a good substitute for drain?

The words impoverish and drain are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness.

impoverished soil

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 drain
Verb
After hearing desperate meows echoing from the drain, a 7-Eleven employee in Portsmouth, Virginia, contacted PETA for help. Ronnie Li, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025 Minus Reeves, his dreams of a career as a movie auteur were spiraling down the drain once more. Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
Just the prospect of interacting with that person can be unpleasant or feel draining. Josh Davis, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025 Sleep and rest charge you up, while workouts and stressful meetings drain you down. Brent Rose, Wired News, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drain
Verb
  • The state is also home to three mines with hundreds of injection wells, used to pump chemicals into the ground to dissolve and extract copper or salt.
    Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Water poured in too fast for the crew to pump it out, and the ship's captain ordered the men into the yawl boat.
    Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Bobenmoyer spent seven years as a dental assistant.
    Anna Clark, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2025
  • In Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, and Austin, renters typically spent less than 20 percent of their median income on rent.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 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
Noun
  • Charlie got into the shower, letting the hot water sluice off the rest of the blood on her back and whatever had dried in her hair.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Mauna Lani staff still manage the ponds in the traditional way: Ocean tides bring fish in through a series of wooden sluice gates.
    Samantha Dunn, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Room for two, a supple ride, a gorgeous view over a curved hood, perfect flow of air up and over the windshield and cockpit with virtually no backsplash to disrupt pleasant conversation, and the ability at any time to experience a rush of power and speed when the moment calls.
    Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • The experience has also underscored the importance of social media in Nepal, as well as the consequences of government attempts to control the flow of online information.
    Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But consumers can now tap $3,500 in annual benefits, according to American Express, mostly in the form of credits offsetting purchases made on the card, more than twice the previous level.
    Hugh Son, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The future of this rapidly expanding means of devising software by tapping into the generative capabilities of modern-era AI, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Llama, Grok, Gemini, and other large language models, will be discussed.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Children and adolescents consume pizza more frequently than adults, the USDA said.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
  • However, once human settlers arrived, so did mammals that easily hunted and consumed these ground-dwelling birds.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • So…are the long-wearing claims actually true?
    Lily Wohlner, Allure, 19 Sep. 2025
  • The Body After detectives discovered Rivas’ body, a report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner described her as a female with wavy black hair wearing a tube top and black leggings, size small, as well as yellow metal-stud earrings and a yellow metal-chain bracelet.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Drain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drain. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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