The Phrasal Verb 'Draw Out' Explained
- Phrasal Verbs Explained
- Nov 7, 2025
- 12 min read
An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'draw out' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context
Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native.
In this post, I will be explaining the English phrasal verb 'draw out'. This may be a phrasal verb that you are already familiar with or it may be the first time that you have ever come across it. Either way, my aim in this post is to explain its different meanings for you, so that you know how to understand and use it effectively in your English conversations. I will also give you lots of example sentences to for each one. So, let's make a start....
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one)
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THE BASICS
DRAW OUT: KEY INFORMATION
Usage | Common |
Number of meanings | 7 |
Past tense forms | Drew out / Drawn out |
Separable? | Sometimes |
As you know, in this post, I will be explaining the phrasal verb 'draw out', but how well do you know its individual component words 'draw' and 'out' on their own? Let's briefly look at them before we move on to the phrasal verb meanings....
To draw - 'To draw' is an interesting verb in English as it has several different meanings that all come from the same original idea. Perhaps the most well-known of all of these is 'to create a picture of something using a pen or a pencil'. This idea comes from the original meaning of 'to draw' of 'to drag' or 'to pull' as when you draw a picture, you are dragging the pen over the paper to create the line. In addition to this main meaning, 'to draw' can also mean 'to pull something in a specific direction' and 'to move a part of your body' in a particular way, among other meanings. 'To draw', like many other common English verbs, is irregular.
I like drawing pictures.
The artist drew the mountains with a pencil.
The horse will draw the carriage along the street.
I drew my legs up out of the way of the vacuum cleaner.
Out - The prepositional particle 'out' is an extremely common word in the English language and features in many phrasal verbs. Arguably it's most common function in phrasal verbs is to give an idea of completion or exhaustion (run out, tire out), however it can also add ideas like appearance (come out), elimination (cut out), expansion (spread out) and rejection (leave out).
So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'draw out'....
MEANING 1: To draw something by hand
CEFR Language Level | B1 - Intermediate |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To draw, to sketch |
Separable? | Yes |
As per usual on Phrasal Verbs Explained, let's start the meanings with the one that is closest to the literal meaning of the two words combined and that is 'to draw something by hand'.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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This may seem like a strange question but are you already familiar with the phrasal verb 'write out'? If not, it means to put all of the details of something into written form or to reproduce them in writing. Well, the same idea also applies with 'draw out', except that this time it is pictorial or illustrated form.
If you draw something out, you simply draw a picture of something on a piece of paper (or other suitable surface). For example, maybe you have an idea of an outfit that you want to wear to a party, so you draw it out to see what it looks like on paper. Or, if you are trying to explain the directions to somewhere, you might find it easier to draw out a map instead.
This application is separable and you can put the thing being drawn either between the words 'draw' and 'out' or after them without affecting the meaning. I would say that it is used more frequently in a non-separable way.
The architect drew out the plans for the new building on a large sheet of paper.
Michelle quickly drew a rough map out to show us how to get there.
Carol drew out a sketch of the invention that she had in mind.
The artist drew out the figure before adding any colour.
I drew a simple diagram out to explain how the machine works.
The teacher drew out a chart on the board to illustrate the process.
Verity drew out the layout of the garden to show where each plant would go.
Mike drew out the design carefully, ensuring that every line was precise.
MEANING 2: To prolong something
CEFR Language Level | B2 - Upper intermediate |
Usage | Common |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To extend, to lengthen, to prolong, to protract, to drag out, to elongate |
Separable? | Yes |
Our next meaning of 'draw out' is one that means 'to prolong something' or, in other words, to make something longer.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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With this application, we are not talking about making something longer in a physical sense, but rather in a temporal sense, so that it lasts for a longer time.
It is normally used when something continues for longer than it normally does or than is expected or, in some cases, necessary. As you can see from the list of commonly used nouns above, it is often used in the world of business to talk about processes and meetings that go on for an extended period of time.
The meeting was due to end at three, but the manager’s long explanations drew it out for another hour.
Becky tried to draw out the conversation so she wouldn’t have to say goodbye.
The negotiations were drawn out over several months before they reached an agreement.
The politician tends to draw out his speeches, making them much longer than necessary.
The director decided to draw out the suspense in the final scene to add impact.
They’re only drawing out the inevitable by refusing to make a decision.
Ben's slow responses drew out the interview far longer than expected.
The lawyer’s questioning seemed designed to draw out the murder trial.
One other way that 'draw out' can be used in this way is with words. If someone draaaaaaws ouuuuuuuut a word, they make it last for much longer than is normal. This may often be for a specific reason, such as for persuasion or emphasis.
Imogen drew out the word "soooo" to show her disbelief.
Luca always draws out her vowels when she's tired, making every sentence sound lazy.
“Pleeeease,” Sally drew out the word, hoping to persuade her Dad.
The teacher drew out the student’s name for emphasis: “Maaaark!”
BONUS: THE ADJECTIVE 'DRAWN-OUT'Before we finish this section, I just want to make you aware that. we can also use the past participle form 'drawn-out' as an adjective to talk about something that lasts longer that usual or necessary.
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MEANING 3: To withdraw money from a bank
CEFR Language Level | B2 - Upper intermediate |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To withdraw, to take out |
Separable? | Yes |
In many countries in the world, people are using paper money less and less in favour of electronic payments and this change directly affects our third meaning of 'draw out', which is 'to withdraw money from a bank'.
Simply put, if you draw money out of a bank, building society, business or any other place where it can be stored, you take it out in order to spend it. If you remember in the Basics section, I explained how 'to draw' can mean 'to pull' and here you are literally pulling the money out of your bank, especially if you use an ATM.
As I mentioned, in the UK and the USA less and less people (including me) carry physical money with them and tend to pay for everything on card or electronically, so there is a chance that this particular usage will become archaic soon. What is the situation in your country? Do people still mainly draw out money from banks and carry it in their wallets or is electronic payment now becoming the status quo? Let me know in the comments as I'd be interested to know!
Lois went to the bank to draw out some cash for her weekend plans.
Vincent drew out all his savings to pay for the new car.
I need to draw a few hundred dollars out before the trip.
They drew enough money out to cover the deposit.
Sian drew out £200 from her account yesterday, leaving her balance at zero.
Joe decided to draw out some cash rather than use his card.
The company drew out funds from its reserve account to deal with the emergency.
I’ll draw out a bit of money so we have some just in case.
MEANING 4: To tempt someone or something from their hiding place
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To tempt out, to entice, to coax, to extract |
Separable? | Yes |
The next way that we can use the phrasal verb 'draw out' is to talk about when a person or an animal is hiding somewhere as it means 'to tempt someone or something from their hiding place'.
I may have mentioned before on this website that I have two cats and when we adopted our second cat, Henry, he was an extremely shy little kitten (that's him in the picture on the right). The first thing that he did when he arrived in his new home was run away and hide behind the washing machine. I think he must have stayed there for 2 days. During this time, we tried desperately to draw him out from his hiding place by putting food and toys out and leaving him alone but none of these drew him out. It was in fact, Arthur, my other cat, who drew him out in the end!
That story about Henry is a great example of when this application of 'draw out' can be used as we were trying to persuade him to leave his hiding spot by tempting him with things that he would enjoy and of course this is also something that can be used for hidden people. As a general rule, it normally involves doing something to encourage or tempt the hiding person or animal to leave the place that they are inside and to come out into the open.
The park ranger left some food in the forest to draw out the shy fox from its den.
Maggie tried to draw out the kitten that was hiding under her bed with a piece of string.
The police used a negotiator to draw the suspect out from the building.
The caterers hoped the smell of cooking would draw the campers out from their tents.
A squeaky toy helped draw out the frightened dog from the corner.
The exorcist used a clever trick to draw out the spirit, according to legend.
One other rarer way that this application of 'draw out' can be used is to talk about non-living things and extracting or pulling them from the places in which they are situated. This may be as simple as drawing something out of your pocket or removing a fluid such as blood or oil.
The nurse will draw out some blood with a syringe.
Vernon drew out a hidden knife from his belt.
Luke carefully drew out a splinter from his finger.
The scientist tried to draw out the essential oils from the plant.
The mechanic drew out the old fluid before refilling the tank.
The dentist drew out the damaged tooth.
Meditation can help draw out negative emotions.
George drew out a folded letter from his pocket and handed it to Mildred.
MEANING 5: To encourage someone to talk
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To elicit, to put at ease, to get someone to talk |
Separable? | Yes |
Let's now move on to meaning number five of the phrasal verb 'draw out', which is a bit similar to the previous one and it means 'to encourage someone to talk'.
For this application, we are mainly concerned with people who are shy or nervous and therefore do not want to talk to others and express their thoughts and feelings. If you are able to draw someone out, it means that you help them to speak more freely and be more open.
This might be by making them feel relaxed and less nervous, gently or subtly asking them the correct sorts of questions or even giving them an alcoholic drink or two. The method is not relevant and does not dictate the use of the phrasal verb however, it is just used to express that we are able to make a shy or reserved person more talkative.
The interviewer’s gentle questions helped to draw out the shy guest.
Amelia tried to draw out her best friend, who usually kept her feelings to herself.
The therapist slowly drew out the child, encouraging him to share his feelings.
Steven's calm manner drew even the most reserved members of the group out.
The teacher managed to draw the quiet student out during a class discussion.
A good listener can often draw out people who are reluctant to speak.
The journalist’s patience was the key to drawing out a powerful story from the witness.
Diane used humour to draw her nervous interviewee out.
MEANING 6: To become longer (days)
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | British English |
Potential synonyms | To get lighter, to lengthen |
Separable? | No |
The next application of the phrasal verb 'draw out' is one that it most commonly heard in British English to talk about days and it means 'to become longer'.
You may be thinking that this is a strange usage as days are always 24 hours long, so I should point out here that we are thinking about daytime and nighttime and the hours of light and darkness.
Wherever you are on Earth, unless you live near the Equator, you will experience 6-month periods from the middle of winter to the middle of summer when the days get longer and the nights get shorter, with the opposite happening in the six months from summer to winter. In this period when we head from winter to spring and the days are getting longer, we can say that "the days are drawing out". This is particularly noticeable if you are far from the Equator, which is perhaps why we say it a lot in British English.
Likewise, if you have read my post about the phrasal verb 'draw in' (link here), you should know that we use this to talk about when the days get shorter.
Note that this usage does not take a direct object and is therefore not separable.
The days are starting to draw out now that the seasons are changing.
You can tell winter is finally ending; the evenings are drawing out.
As summer approaches, the days draw out and it stays light much later.
The evenings have drawn out noticeably since last month.
The days draw out so gradually that you hardly notice at first.
By March, the days have really drawn out compared to January.
It’s nice to see the evenings drawing out after those long dark winter nights.
As the year progresses, the days draw out and the temperature begins to rise.
MEANING 7: To depart from a train station
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To depart, to pull out, to pull off |
Separable? | No |
We have now arrived at our final meaning of the phrasal verb 'draw out' and that is 'to depart from a station'.
For this application, we are not talking about when passengers leave the station after arriving at their destination but rather when the trains leave the station. Quite simply, when a train draws out from a train station, it starts moving and heads away from it towards its next destination.
Note that we can also use 'draw in' to talk about when a train arrives at a station. I would say that both 'draw in' and 'draw out' are both quite formal uses and can often come across as a bit old-fashioned but it's of course possible that you may hear them being used by native speakers still today in some situations and circumstances.
On a grammatical level, like with the previous application, this one is also not separable and does not take a direct object.
The train drew out of the station exactly on time.
We waved as the train drew out, disappearing around the bend.
The express drew out slowly, gathering speed as it left the platform.
A whistle blew, and the locomotive drew out from the station amid clouds of steam.
Passengers leaned from the windows as the train drew out into the night.
The old engine drew out with a deep rumble that echoed down the tracks
We have now reached the end of this post and I just want to say thank you for clicking on my post and reading it. I hope that you've enjoyed it and have been able to learn something new about the phrasal verb 'draw out'. If you enjoyed this post, please go ahead and check out some of my other posts.
Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'draw out'. Write it in the comments section below if you can, or alternatively any comments, suggestions or feedback that you may have....don't be shy!!!
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THE END
Very interesting!