as in exhausting
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1
as in pumping
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely
we drained the water from the tank before cleaning it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in consuming
to make complete use of
virtually drained the country's natural resources
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in killing
to use up all the physical energy of
the long hike drained us
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of draining
Fj Campbell, Fortune, 20 May 2026
Already carrying wider spans of control and shrinking development support, a manager operating against an outdated role definition is doing something more draining than managing a heavy workload.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
Asch recommends finding a driver-friendly activity to make time on the road feel less draining, such as listening to an audiobook or podcast.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.
—Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Christa Swanson, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Prepare a balanced lunch and follow a simple checklist that keeps your day smooth without draining your sensitive energy at work.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2026
Water also was standing or draining so slowly as to seem to be standing at a prep sink and the mop sink.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 June 2026
But now Trump officials are draining the SPR at an even faster pace ahead of this year’s midterms.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
Relationships with people who are draining, critical, or otherwise difficult can compromise our mental and physical health.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Fill a container with well-draining potting soil.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 15 June 2026
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
None of those appear to have helped, with the rupiah weakening against the dollar to a record 18,190 on June 8, despite Jakarta draining its forex reserves to prop up the rupiah.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 June 2026
Adjective
Others are voluntarily asking to see more patients because the most draining and time-consuming parts of their job are now handled by AI.
—Fj Campbell, Fortune, 20 May 2026
Already carrying wider spans of control and shrinking development support, a manager operating against an outdated role definition is doing something more draining than managing a heavy workload.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
Asch recommends finding a driver-friendly activity to make time on the road feel less draining, such as listening to an audiobook or podcast.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.
—Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
Other actions to reduce risk include avoiding exposure during peak feeding times at dusk and dawn, wearing long sleeves and pants to prevent mosquito bites, and draining standing water in yards and gardens to minimize breeding areas.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Prepare a balanced lunch and follow a simple checklist that keeps your day smooth without draining your sensitive energy at work.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2026
Water also was standing or draining so slowly as to seem to be standing at a prep sink and the mop sink.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 June 2026
But now Trump officials are draining the SPR at an even faster pace ahead of this year’s midterms.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
Relationships with people who are draining, critical, or otherwise difficult can compromise our mental and physical health.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Fill a container with well-draining potting soil.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 15 June 2026
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
None of those appear to have helped, with the rupiah weakening against the dollar to a record 18,190 on June 8, despite Jakarta draining its forex reserves to prop up the rupiah.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for draining
Adjective
-
The person walking between those two rooms is doing the quiet, exhausting work of keeping both versions of themselves coherent.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
But the melancholy pop soundtrack (Gracie Abrams, Lana del Rey, Noah Cyrus) and many, many longing gazes suggest we’re meant to find all of this terribly moving, rather than exhausting.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The impacts of pumping take years, maybe decades to be fully manifested.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
14 June 2026
-
Fans decked out in Knicks merchandise filled the streets, subways and office towers with a sea of blue and orange, often fist-pumping strangers with all feeling buoyed by the Knicks pinch-me moments on the march to the championship prize.—
Sportico Staff,
Sportico.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Expect loose, watery, urgent stools, usually with cramping when consuming unfamiliar foods.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
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Both regions have robust local entertainment traditions whose audiences are accustomed to consuming content in their native languages.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Tom then explains the actual Trolley Problem, the philosophical debate about having to choose whether to pull a lever that will prevent a runaway trolley from killing multiple people, but will still result in the death of a single person.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
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But the Israeli military has yet to fully stop hostilities, killing at least four people in separate strikes Tuesday on Lebanon, according to Lebanese state media.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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But the most mentally fatiguing aspect, the work found, was having to constantly supervise the AI tools, with some employees overseeing multiple AI agents performing different tasks at the same time.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
12 Mar. 2026
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My friend was in course of opening up his country house unassisted, and after a fatiguing day discovered that the only practical bed was a child’s affair— long enough but scarcely wider than a crib.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The City Council pushes back by siphoning from long-term infrastructure needs.—
Paul Krueger,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 June 2026
-
Topline Web traffic for Claude is on a major upswing, apparently siphoning some traffic from competitor AI chatbots, as Anthropic prepares an initial public offering and releases a version of its powerful Mythos model to the public, albeit with safeguards.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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The retailer employs a team of roughly 40 to 50 personal shoppers in Paris, who work closely with top-spending clients and serve as ambassadors for the store’s designer offering.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
17 June 2026
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The department is working to approve requests for waivers that give states more flexibility for spending federal money.—
Alia Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Wilson shared a video of herself shooting a gun while dressed in her bikini shirt, as well as one of her sipping on a cocktail while sitting on part of the boat wearing the shirt, a visor and a statement necklace.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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Another, wearing a plain white T-shirt, sat hunched inside, watching someone climb past his apartment window.—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Draining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draining. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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