drag out

phrasal verb

dragged out; dragging out; drags out

: to cause (something) to take more time than necessary

He dragged out the speech much too long.

: 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

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

In 2000, a famously close race and legal challenges dragged out the process — things likely to affect this year's cycle. —

Rachel Barber, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024 In 2000, a famously close race and legal challenges dragged out the process. —

Rachel Barber, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024 One lookalike appeared to be arrested and dragged out in handcuffs. —

Sakshi Venkatraman, NBC News, 27 Oct. 2024 Vote counting delays due to mail-in or absentee voting are also expected to drag out the declaration of winners in key swing states. —

Hans Nichols, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for drag out