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drain

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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
Additional work to drain the swamp would drain the state’s treasury. Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025 Until then, the negative effects of import taxes such as rising unemployment and a slowing economy will drain trillions of dollars from the revenues the administration hopes to raise. Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
In the kitchen, sewage backed up in the floor drain from a handwash sink and the three-comparment sink at the Palm Beach County restaurant. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025 That’s hundreds of billions of your tax dollars flushed down the drain without swamp bureaucrats blinking an eye. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drain
Verb
  • Katie Maloney is not pumped about the Vanderpump Rules reboot.
    Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • In the standard studies, climate models are run with and without the carbon dioxide that humanity has pumped into the atmosphere through fossil fuels and land use changes.
    John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Consumers have been optimizing their spending for years, Thomas said, by making smart decisions to have the ability to still spend, particularly on discretionary items.
    Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Ripp is originally a linebacker but spent parts of last year playing edge.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Renee Moore worked near the building and relied on its daycare for her 6-month-old son Antonio Cooper Jr., who was among those killed.
    Erin Jensen, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • His father, who had been a central figure in Cold War-era espionage and anti-Castro militancy, was killed in a Key Biscayne bar on December 20, 1982, during a fight.
    Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • This option returns the pond to its full former glory including sluice gate repair, dredging the full pond area and recreational enhancements to include 5.7 acres of open water and two fishing platforms.
    Erik S. Hanley, Journal Sentinel, 9 Dec. 2024
  • In 2014, Kyrgyz and Tajik conscripts exchanged fire over a strategic sluice in Ak-Sai.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2016
Noun
  • Viral infections, blood flow blockages to the auditory nerve, and strokes are other potential causes of sudden deafness.15 What level of deafness is considered a disability?
    Heidi Cope, Health, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Traffic flow along Pacific Coast Highway has been reduced to one lane in each direction and Temescal Canyon Road remains closed to create what the Army leaders call a TDRS — Temporary Debris Reduction Site.
    James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Dunham, 38, has been tapped to co-write the book with playwright Jessica Huang, according to Billboard, which was the first to report the news.
    Jen Juneau, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Christopher Wheeldon will helm direction and choreography for the production, while Tom Kitt has been tapped for music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Nor could the authors conclude definitively that the chimps were deliberately consuming ethanol-rich fruits and sharing it with their compatriots.
    Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Crews also conduct test burns before igniting a larger area, to verify how effectively fuels are consumed and how smoke will travel.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Tobacco smoking, not wearing seatbelts and riding motorcycles can reduce years from your healthspan.
    Renée Onque, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Throughout the case, Cruz appeared in court wearing protective restraint mittens handcuffed in place.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Drain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drain. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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