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
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Moments later, a third man was tackled and dragged out by police. Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2025 Starr often conveys a sense of not wanting to linger or drag out an obligation. Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025 That way, Iran will be motivated to come to the table rather than stalling or dragging out negotiations. Michael Knights, Foreign Affairs, 11 Mar. 2025 My friend sent me a photograph showing a vehicle belonging to the army recruitment division stopping cars and dragging out the men and taking them away. Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drag out

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Cite this Entry

“Drag out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drag%20out. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.

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