draw on

British  

verb

1. (intr, preposition) to use or exploit (a source, fund, etc)

   to draw on one's experience

2. (intr, adverb) to come near

   the time for his interview drew on

3. (tr, preposition) to withdraw (money) from (an account)

4. (tr, adverb) to put on (clothes)

5. (tr, adverb) to lead further; entice or encourage

   the prospect of nearing his goal drew him on

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draw on Idioms  

1. Approach, as in As evening draws on, we'll make our way back to the house . [First half of 1500s]

2. Put on a piece of clothing, as in She drew on her gloves . [Early 1700s]

3. Also, draw upon . Make use of something or someone. For example, This dictionary draws on many different sources , or The chairman was good at drawing upon the various members for their expertise . [Mid-1600s]

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Example Sentences

All of those characters, I always draw on some element of myself.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

AFP has a deal with Mistral allowing the company's chatbot to draw on the news agency's articles to formulate responses.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

Sinner's path to the Coupe des Mousquetaires is already without one major obstacle because Alcaraz is absent - and seeds tumbled in his half of the draw on Tuesday.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

This stems from a sharp pullback in Chinese buying, a surge in U.S. exports and an unusually rapid draw on inventories and strategic stocks, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

As for maple leaves, they’re the hardest part to draw on our red flag.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood