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
The company also plans to draw blood inside its facilities eventually, but Lacy wants to provide a premium experience that is as calming and comfortable as possible.
—
Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2025
Brian, a young male bonobo located at the Milwaukee Zoo who was isolated from his peers reportedly responded by tearing off his own fingernails and developing a habit of compulsively inserting his hand into his rectum, sometimes enough to draw blood.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for draw blood
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2025
Brian, a young male bonobo located at the Milwaukee Zoo who was isolated from his peers reportedly responded by tearing off his own fingernails and developing a habit of compulsively inserting his hand into his rectum, sometimes enough to draw blood.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2025
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
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 19 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share