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
The woman who was dragged out of a Republican town hall in Coeur d’Alene in February intends to sue the county sheriff and the security team behind her removal.
—
Alexandra Duggan, Idaho Statesman, 22 Apr. 2025
Trump expressed some frustration with the timeline of the meetings, speculating that the Iranian side might be intentionally dragging out negotiations.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 14 Apr. 2025
Logging projects are routinely contested by conservation groups, both at the administrative level and in court, which can drag out the approval process for years.
—Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025
Viewers on TikTok were able to see the man kneeling in front of a low fridge, armed with a flashlight and a stick, carefully dragging out the collection of cat toys.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drag out
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Alexandra Duggan, Idaho Statesman, 22 Apr. 2025
Trump expressed some frustration with the timeline of the meetings, speculating that the Iranian side might be intentionally dragging out negotiations.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 14 Apr. 2025
Logging projects are routinely contested by conservation groups, both at the administrative level and in court, which can drag out the approval process for years.
—Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025
Viewers on TikTok were able to see the man kneeling in front of a low fridge, armed with a flashlight and a stick, carefully dragging out the collection of cat toys.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drag out
Cite this Entry
“Drag out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drag%20out. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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