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
Thus, the new European military mobility plan won’t come online until 2027 at the earliest—and may drag out beyond that.
—
Ilan Berman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
The brothers celebrated, then began the backbreaking task of dragging out the heavy-bodied buck.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 3 Dec. 2025
The pair make a deal that Olivia will help Ben plan and execute all of the cafe’s Christmas themed fundraising activities if Ben won’t drag out the sale of the cafe.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2025
In spite of the split being designed to maximize the season’s appeal, the result is quite the opposite, with modern audiences quickly tiring of a mere eight episodes being unnecessarily dragged out.
—Emma Flint, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drag out
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Ilan Berman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
The brothers celebrated, then began the backbreaking task of dragging out the heavy-bodied buck.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 3 Dec. 2025
The pair make a deal that Olivia will help Ben plan and execute all of the cafe’s Christmas themed fundraising activities if Ben won’t drag out the sale of the cafe.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2025
In spite of the split being designed to maximize the season’s appeal, the result is quite the opposite, with modern audiences quickly tiring of a mere eight episodes being unnecessarily dragged out.
—Emma Flint, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 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 14 Dec. 2025.
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