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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
Inspectors said the handwashing sink was draining too slowly. Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2025 These clocks will, unfortunately, drain your batteries a little quicker but probably not fast enough to really take notice. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
Noun
Key Insights: Resource drain: Prolonged negotiations drain resources that could be used elsewhere in the business. Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025 She’s had two engineering assessments conducted on her house, paid about $15,000 out of pocket to add a new drain system, install waterproofing layers, and repair the side of her house, but nothing has kept water away. Taylor O’Connor, Kansas City Star, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for drain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drain
Verb
  • The letter urged the court to pump the brakes on the process, citing legal concerns with outdated population data and Voting Rights Act violations.
    Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2025
  • Hernández: Gerrit was just pumping fuel and emotion that inning.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • For example, the 256GB version’s price is $1,100 – roughly 86% more than the $580 Apple spent for all the hardware, the assembly and the testing, reported the Wall Street Journal.
    Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
  • Disney spent $100 million to produce and another $100 million on marketing efforts for the kid friendly adventure about a chaotic alien who crash-lands in Hawaii and gets adapted by a young girl and her older sister.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • The forecast comes after several devastating hurricanes battered the U.S. last year, including Helene, which killed 241 people across five states in September.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 25 May 2025
  • At least four people have been killed in the eastern Donetsk region, five in the southern Kherson and Odesa regions, and four in the northern Kharkiv region in the past 24 hours, according to regional officials.
    Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • Still, on May 4, India lowered sluice gates at the Baglihar dam, effectively reducing the downstream flow to Pakistan through the Chenab River by up to 90%, according to the Hindustan Times.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 7 May 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • The studio took a wellness-forward approach to their design, wanting to highlight the connection to water by creating an organic sense of flow between the outdoor and indoor areas, utilizing the same inside and out to create a gentle progression between spaces.
    Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 25 May 2025
  • An enhanced sense of flow was brought into the kitchen, where circulation paths were reconfigured and a large marble island was added.
    Tori Latham, Robb Report, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • She’s now tapped St. Louis superstar Sexyy Red for the song’s official remix.
    Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 30 May 2025
  • Writer, filmmaker and curator Ducharme, who hails from the Métis community of St. Ambroise on Treaty 1 Territory, has tapped into his own experiences for the screenplay.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • Soy is a common allergen, and thus the undeclared ingredient could pose a risk to those with a soy allergy who consume the product.
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 27 May 2025
  • For example, in 2024, China supplied 70 percent of all lithium-ion batteries consumed in the U.S.
    Elena Bou, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • For their big milestone, the twins wore dark blue caps and gowns with matching white asymmetrical cocktail dresses underneath, posing for photos with their classmates, friends and family members while holding flowers and their diplomas.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 24 May 2025
  • Milgrim on Thursday morning sat in his Prairie Village living room, wearing a gray sweatshirt from his daughter’s college alma mater, the University of Kansas, as the doorbell rang and friends, clergy and media came to their door.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Drain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drain. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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