drag out

phrasal verb

dragged out; dragging out; drags out

1

: to cause (something) to take more time than necessary

He dragged out the speech much too long.

2

: to force (something, such as a confession) from (someone) : to make (someone) tell one (something)

The teacher eventually dragged a confession out of one of the students.

Doctors sometimes have to drag information out of their patients.

Examples of drag out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And while one-off gifts the likes of a new shoulder bag or a fleece jacket are great options, sometimes dragging out the celebrations, in the form of the top advent calendars of 2025, is the best way to ensure your giftee has a holiday to remember. —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025

But the original film’s scares succeed because of their tension—how the story drags out the inevitable over nearly two excruciating hours. —The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025

Of course, that’s exactly what Governor Maura Healey and Mayor Michelle Wu and the developer want; A knockdown, drag out, talk radio donnybrook over a shelter being shoehorned into a tiny former nursing home nestled among a family neighborhood in the Holy Name parish. —Lou Murray, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025

However, one attacking trend is positioning wingers out on the touchline to isolate them, which can drag out an opposition full-back and make space for a run inside. —Liam Tharme, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025

Rhymes for drag out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout