draw blood
idiom
1
: to take blood from a person's body for medical reasons
We need to draw some blood to test you for the virus.
2
: to cause blood to flow from a person's body
The punch to the nose drew blood.
—sometimes used figuratively to suggest intensity or aggressivenessSome politicians view debates as chances to draw blood from their opponents.
Examples of draw blood in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As for Dexter, he’s forced into a minor plot detour to draw blood, inadvertently giving up two pints himself (one because Clark has had an HIV exposure and needs to pass off someone else’s blood as his own, and the other because Masuka corners Dexter into donating).
—
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
Once Yoko has reached a large enough size to safely draw blood from, the aquarium will analyse the pup's DNA to determine how it was born.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
How pulse oximeters work The gold standard and most accurate way of testing whether a person has normal oxygen levels is to stick a needle into a person’s wrist and draw blood.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 19 Jan. 2025
This means cops couldn’t immediately draw blood to test for alcohol and drug use.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for draw blood
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Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
Once Yoko has reached a large enough size to safely draw blood from, the aquarium will analyse the pup's DNA to determine how it was born.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
How pulse oximeters work The gold standard and most accurate way of testing whether a person has normal oxygen levels is to stick a needle into a person’s wrist and draw blood.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 19 Jan. 2025
This means cops couldn’t immediately draw blood to test for alcohol and drug use.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for draw blood
Cite this Entry
“Draw blood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/draw%20blood. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.
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