emptying

verb

present participle of empty
as in clearing
to remove the contents of empty the room before starting to paint the ceiling

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 emptying The show and encore, which take up a little over an hour, are bookended by scenes of concertgoers filling the room and then emptying it. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026 The high school gymnasium that held the event was packed, though crowds began emptying out about halfway through the 90-minute rally. — Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 With smarter obstacle avoidance, self-emptying docks, and mopping pads that actually scrub, today’s cleaning bots deliver an instant quality-of-life upgrade. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026 Palencia said the gunman carried two magazines for the weapon and reloaded them after emptying the first one before turning the gun at himself. — CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026 Dieterich walked through the kitchen and exited the building through an unlocked door used by inmates assigned to kitchen duties, including emptying garbage outside. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 Emigration has also hollowed out entire professions, emptying hospitals of health workers, schools of teachers, and even churches of priests and pastors, on a scale that Cubans have never seen before. — Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026 That way, the Wildfire can be used more freely in hazardous areas without worrying about emptying the hangars. — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026 The 26-year-old took a few steps towards the slowly emptying South Stand, and, within seconds, was joined by his daughter Maria Alice, who ran out to him. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emptying
  1. clearing
  2. evacuating
  3. cleaning
  4. draining
  5. vacating
  6. eliminating
Verb
  • In a Tuesday statement, Purdue University officials said researchers came across at least four coconut crabs while clearing an overgrown trail to the island's lagoon.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Just as running from my problems was, clearing my mind over the course of many miles, or racing hard, until the adrenaline cleansed me of feeling pain, sadness, disappointment, or rage.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of clearing
Verb
  • Jalisco state suspended classes on Friday and Monday in 22 coastal municipalities and began evacuating people from at-risk areas while asking the tourism sector to make sure workers and visitors are fully accommodated in shelters or safe zones.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Jalisco state suspended classes on Monday in 22 coastal municipalities and began evacuating dozens of people from at-risk areas.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of evacuating
Verb
  • The lid for covering food on the grill and the magnetic wall strip for knife and utensil storage lack cleaning.
    — NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Performing basic maintenance and cleaning the system shouldn’t be too difficult.
    — Michael Justin Allen Sexton, PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of cleaning
Verb
  • Eating triggers saliva production, but a stone can keep the saliva from draining, causing the gland to swell.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • On the ground floor, outside the main building, a humanoid was flat on its back after draining its battery during a demo.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • With Hageman vacating her seat, nine Republicans are vying for the GOP nomination and two Democrats are competing for their nomination.
    — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams is moving to second base for the Washington Nationals, vacating the only position he's played during his five seasons with the club.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of vacating
Verb
  • The wireless hub can sit up to 10 meters away from the screen, eliminating cable clutter.
    — Justin Pot, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • If successful, such treatments could potentially be prescribed for patients to take at home, eliminating the need for lengthy supervised sessions.
    — Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of eliminating

Browse Nearby Words

empty-headed
emptying
empyreal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Emptying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emptying. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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