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

But Sarah Lebovitz Suria, a licensed psychologist and parenting and school strategist has shared the phrases parents should avoid—and what to opt for instead—drawing on over 10 years of practice. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025

The National Head Start Association reported that six Head Start programs serving 6,525 children are already operating without federal funding, drawing on emergency local resources to stay open. —Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025

For the Fasano, Starck drew on the language of Brazilian midcentury modernism, combining clean lines with organic shapes and using rich natural materials—leather, wicker, lustrous wood—with a thread of craft and traditional technique. —Hannah Walhout, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025

Takehiro Hira, who plays a workaholic with a void in his life, drew on his own experience as a student abroad. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Oct. 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