draw out

British  

verb

1. to extend or cause to be extended

   he drew out his stay

2. (tr) to cause (a person) to talk freely

   she's been quiet all evening – see if you can draw her out

3. Also: draw from.  to elicit (information) (from)

   he managed to draw out of his son where he had been

4. (tr) to withdraw (money) as from a bank account or a business

5. (intr) (of hours of daylight) to become longer

6. (intr) (of a train) to leave a station

7. (tr) to extend (troops) in line; lead from camp

8. (intr) (of troops) to proceed from camp

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draw out Idioms  

1. Pull out, extract, remove, as in She drew out her pen , or Let's draw some money out of the bank . [c. 1300]

2. Prolong, protract, as in This meal was drawn out over four hours . The related expression long-drawn-out means “greatly extended or protracted,” as in The dinner was a long-drawn-out affair . [1500s]

3. Induce to speak freely, as in The teacher was good at drawing out the children . [Late 1700s]

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Example Sentences

“Hamnet” is not a movie that seeks to bore into the viewers’ hearts, drawing out empathy from the depths of their souls; it’s a film that wants the audience to do all of the work.

From Salon

This came after Lynas proposed a method to draw out thorium, the radioactive element, from raw feedstock and from over a million tons of waste accumulated at its refinery.

From Seattle Times

“I can talk to people and I can draw out this mental trauma,” Jeff allegedly told Rogers.

From Salon

He knows how to tell a story, how to build sympathy and draw out tension for maximum impact before going in for the kill.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2016, authorities drew out some of the lake's water to prevent it from overflowing.

From BBC

Related Words

• drag out
• elongate
• protract