draw an inference
Conclude, as in From his wording, we can draw the inference that he disapproves. This idiom is a long-winded way of saying infer. [Late 1600s]
RELATED CONTENT
What Is An “Interrupter”?What’s an interrupter? Interrupters—like this little guy right here—are squeezing into more and more contemporary writing. They’re often the goofy/sarcastic “wink-wink-nudge-nudge” asides writers play with in nonacademic writing and online content. Also called insertions, interrupting phrases, or parenthetical expressions, interrupters are words, phrases, or clauses that break the flow of writing—because if the author feels like it, why not?—to offer additional, can’t-be-held-back, or spur-of-the-moment thoughts …
RELATED WORDS
apprehend, capture, catch, chase, cover, discover, do, dog, expose, find, hunt, scout, shadow, stalk, tail, trace, trail, travel, traverse, unearth
Nearby words
- draw,
- draw a bead on,
- draw a blank,
- draw a line between,
- draw a veil over,
- draw and quarter,
- draw away,
- draw back,
- draw blood,
- draw curtain
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.