DRAINS Synonyms: 167 Similar and Opposite Words

drains 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of drain

as in pumps

to remove (liquid) gradually or completely we drained the water from the tank before cleaning it

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as in exhausts

to make complete use of virtually drained the country's natural resources

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in wears

to use up all the physical energy of the long hike drained us

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

drains

2 of 2

noun

plural of drain

as in sluices

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as in flows

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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 drains

Verb

Defensiveness extends conversations, weakens credibility and drains emotional energy that could have been directed toward solving problems. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026 Every square inch of land on Earth’s surface receives precipitation, and much of it drains out, eventually, to an ocean or lake. — Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026 This can be in a low spot in your yard that always drains poorly, or under a roof awning or near a gutter that is likely to overflow. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 10 Aug. 2026 The Dow closed at a record high, oil is sliding as the war premium drains away, even as Jamie Dimon warned that margin debt across financial markets has never been higher. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026 This $9 find keeps utensils in their place (literally), and this sink organizer has a spot for brushes, sponges, dish soap, and even drains water back into the sink for zero mess. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Aug. 2026 Continue reading … DIGITAL HEIST — Coldcard wallet attack drains up to $89M in Bitcoin from 1,200+ addresses. — FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Dominguez Channel begins in Hawthorne and drains Gardena, Torrance, Harbor Gateway, Carson and Wilmington. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 Even better, the rotating spout drains excess water straight back into the sink, so your cleaning tools dry faster, and your countertops stay free of those grimy little puddles that always seem to collect around the faucet. — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 28 July 2026

Noun

Descaling and Unclogging Uses Use cleaning vinegar to unclog stubborn drains by adding 1 cup of baking soda to your drain followed by 1 cup of cleaning vinegar, says Dills. — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 25 Jan. 2026 Below, San Angelo gives us several methods for cleaning bathroom sink drains, her best tips on how to avoid a clogged bathroom sink, and what to avoid when cleaning your bathroom sink drain. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drains

Verb

Scoop it up for half-off, then pick up these Jeffrey Campbell pumps and a pretty clutch to complete the look.

— Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
His North American Blue Energy Partners, or NABEP, pumps about 200,000 barrels of crude a day from fields around Lake Maracaibo and the Orinoco Belt, according to a person familiar with the matter.

— Fabiola Zerpa, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of pumps

Verb

If a bureaucratic process exhausts whatever time a citizen has available, then benefits are lost or rights are denied.

— Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 July 2026

Definition of exhausts

Verb

Granted, save for one image on a TV screen, no one wears a Green Lantern mask or outfit in the Lanterns pilot, but the wheels of its story have been in motion for decades by the time its premise unfolds.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026
Sadie Sink plays Jean Grey as a Gen Zer malcontent who wears a hoodie and whose affect suggests a steady diet of Sylvia Plath.

— Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of wears

Noun

Trees would need trimming, gutters would need cleaning, dead or dying plants would have to be removed.

— Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
The renovations will include repairs to the roofs, gutters, and façades as well as the installation of more than 10,000 square feet of energy-efficient glass in an effort to shield the works within from extreme weather.

— News Desk, Artforum, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of gutters

Verb

That access can be a convenience for paying bills, or a problem if one owner empties the account without the other’s agreement.

— Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
Eufy Robot Vacuum and Mop Deal The Eufy Omni C20 vacuum and mop offers a hands-free clean with an Omni Station that automatically empties dust, plus washes and dries its own mop pads.

— Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 15 July 2026

Definition of empties

Verb

Every prompt, retrieval, reasoning step and autonomous agent action consumes tokens that translate directly into cost.

— Daniel Fallmann, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Naseej estimates that the UAE consumes roughly 500 million textile items annually and generates about 220,000 metric tons of textile waste, 88 percent of which ends up in landfill.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of consumes

Verb

For any Iranian woman who captures or kills an American service member, Hatami said the reward would be doubled.

— August 17, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
This movie is based around the multiverse, which is a concept of Doomsday, of course, but this could confirm some rumors that Doom kills Tobey Maguire’s Spidey in the Raimi universe – or that Tom Holland is showing up in some capacity.

— Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of kills

Cite this Entry

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“Drains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drains. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of drains

verb

noun

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