draw on

verb

drew on; drawn on; drawing on; draws on

intransitive verb

: approach

night draws on

transitive verb

: bring on, cause

Synonyms

• cause
• create
• bring
• generate
• prompt
• do
• produce
• work

Examples of draw on in a Sentence

the general's imprudent remarks drew on a public rebuke by the secretary of defense

night draws on, so we should hurry home

Recent Examples on the Web

Agnes’s affect, which can be blunt, hyper-literal, and emotionally flat, draws on a spectrum-y aesthetic that’s popular online. —Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 29 June 2025

The documentary draws on 40 hours of interviews with Reubens, who initiated the documentary while secretly battling cancer. —Matt Shaw, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025

Anderson, a longtime music journalist and editor, draws on hundreds of interviews with band members, engineers, roadies, and crew to tell the story of how a group of idealistic audiophiles attempted, and briefly achieved, sonic perfection on a stadium scale. —Anna Tingley, Variety, 27 June 2025

Winnie Harlow — the wax figure — was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in Times Square Wednesday evening, with the actual Winnie Harlow present for the big moment when the curtains were drawn on her twin likeness. —David Moin, Footwear News, 26 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for draw on

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon

Kids Definition

draw on

verb

: to come closer : approach

as night drew on