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

But Democrats, many who voiced strong opposition to Hegseth, had little power to stop his nomination, and instead have resorted to dragging out the process. —Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2025

But Democrats gravely opposed to Hegseth had little power to stop him, and instead resorted to dragging out the process. —Lisa Mascaro, arkansasonline.com, 25 Jan. 2025

The Cowboys owner may let this question drag out for the next two, and possibly three, weeks. —Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Jan. 2025

The longer China drags out the process of devising credible safety nets, its economy is more likely to export deflation than economic growth that buttresses its international standing. —William Pesek, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024