draw on

verb

drew on; drawn on; drawing on; draws on

intransitive verb

: approach

night draws on

transitive verb

: bring on, cause

Synonyms

• beget
• breed
• bring
• bring about
• bring on
• catalyze
• cause
• create
• do
• effect
• effectuate
• engender
• generate
• induce
• invoke
• make
• occasion
• produce
• prompt
• result (in)
• spawn
• translate (into)
• work
• yield

Examples of draw on in a Sentence

the general's imprudent remarks drew on a public rebuke by the secretary of defense

night draws on, so we should hurry home

Recent Examples on the Web

But Adam added that the court could also draw on older precedents, from the Cold War and Vietnam eras, in which the court rejected the government’s arguments that supposed threats to national security justified limits on speech. —David Leonhardt, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025

By drawing on real-world scientific advancements and theories, the novel challenges readers to think critically about the role of technology in modern life and the ethical dilemmas that arise with innovation. —William Mullane, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025

And her professors at Juilliard — particularly renowned playwrights Marsha Norman and Christopher Durang — drilled into her the importance of drawing on the personal. —Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 10 Jan. 2025

It’s got a color screen showing the power draw on each port and how much battery life it’s got left. —Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

draw on

verb

: to come closer : approach

as night drew on