draw on

verb

drew on; drawn on; drawing on; draws on
Synonyms of draw onnext

intransitive verb

: approach
night draws on

transitive verb

: bring on, cause

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
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.
The team drew on Green’s experience when choosing genetics, importing 600 cannabis cuttings from the west coast of Canada (remarkably, only one didn’t survive the journey). — Sarah Sinclair, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 In some cases, the title of the episode and the way the episode is constructed really does draw on that source. — Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025 The story drew on private recordings of a series of speeches given in 2023 and 2024 by Russell Vought obtained by our colleagues at Documented, a news site with a remarkable knack for uncovering information powerful interests would prefer remained secret. — Stephen Engelberg, ProPublica, 20 Mar. 2025 Whether designing historic homes or new construction, the designer draws on her background in fashion and fine arts to transform interiors into vibrant reflections of their occupants. — Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for draw on

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of draw on was in the 15th century

Rhymes for draw on

See All Rhymes for draw on

Browse Nearby Words

draw off
draw on
draw out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Draw on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/draw%20on. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

draw on

verb
: to come closer : approach
as night drew on
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All