SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

drawing board

noun

Definition of drawing board

1 : a board used as a base for drafting on paper

2 : a planning stage

a project still on the drawing board

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Recent Examples of drawing board from the Web

Take a little time off, get back to drawing board and make another run at it next year.

— maureen mullen, USA TODAY, "Promising season ends with bitter taste for Boston Red Sox," 9 Oct. 2017
Surrounded by papers, drawing boards and PowerPoints, the group strategized ways to reverse a trend 15 years in the making: the decline of their own banking sector.

— sharon nunn, WSJ, "As Black-Owned Banks Struggle, Community Sounds Alarm," 6 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drawing board.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of drawing board

1725

DRAWING BOARD Defined for English Language Learners

drawing board

noun

Definition of drawing board for English Language Learners

: a large flat board that is used for holding paper for drawing
: the time during which something is being planned : the planning stage of something

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