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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of draining
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
Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Grow crocosmia in moist, organically rich, well-draining soil in full sun to light shade.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
Plant black-eyed Susan in average, well-draining soil and water it during dry spells.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
The geopolitical conflict in the Middle East is actively draining the American wallet.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
The perfusionist questioned the decision to stop disinfecting the units, saying his concern with draining was that if the tanks weren’t completely dry and still contained moisture, bacteria could form.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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
Shane Lowry has the distinction of draining one of the more memorable putts in recent golf history.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Grow crocosmia in moist, organically rich, well-draining soil in full sun to light shade.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
Plant black-eyed Susan in average, well-draining soil and water it during dry spells.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
The geopolitical conflict in the Middle East is actively draining the American wallet.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
The perfusionist questioned the decision to stop disinfecting the units, saying his concern with draining was that if the tanks weren’t completely dry and still contained moisture, bacteria could form.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for draining
Adjective
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But this Roundabout production at Studio 54 — the site of glittering debauchery of another era — just isn’t all that much fun, being mostly effortful, maddening and finally exhausting.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
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Keeping a secret like this is exhausting.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The painting, which shows Trump famously pumping his fist after surviving gunfire at a campaign rally, was installed in the White House State Floor in April 2025.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Ragans was pumping high velocity.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That’s what people are consuming.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
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See what else our critics are consuming this week.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Saturday, Moscow pummeled the central city of Dnipro and other areas for more than twenty hours with barrages of missiles and drones, killing at least seven people.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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The coastal Georgia man arrested in 2018 and accused of torturing, killing and burying his two teenage children in the backyard of the family’s mobile home will spend the rest of his life behind bars after reaching a plea deal.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
28 Apr. 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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Authorities announced the arrest Wednesday of a Long Island PTA mom accused of siphoning more than $50,000 from an elementary school over a three-year span while she was employed as a New York Police Department officer.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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In New York, staged auto accidents, medical mills, and a lax threshold for awarding payouts are siphoning money from drivers, municipalities, and the MTA alike.—
Ike Brannon,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The 23-year-old, boxed out of the Yankees’ Opening Day roster despite spending the entire 2025 season in the majors, was called up from Triple-A on Monday.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Since making their water landing, the three Americans and one Canadian who set out on the lunar journey have been busy, spending recent weeks reuniting with family, debriefing the mission and making media appearances – all while adapting to life back on Earth.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Eli Heidenreich walked down the long corridor, wearing his Navy service dress blues and the emotion of the moment all over his face.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Probably one of the most ingrained is wearing pastels during the spring and summer months, with trendsetters and designers rallying around one specific shade for the past sever seasons.—
Lucía Tejo,
Glamour,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Draining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draining. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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