Draw - Idioms and Expressions

woman drawing on paper

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Here are idioms with the verb draw in English. For each idiom, study the definition and read the example sentences. Next, take the quiz to check your knowledge of what you've learned. To learn more idioms, you can also use short stories providing idioms in context.

Draw a Blank

Use draw a blank to express that you do not know the answer to a question:

  • I'm afraid I'm drawing a blank. I just don't know what to do.
  • Who is that person over there? I'm drawing a blank.

Draw a Line Between 

Use draw a line between with two objects to show that you separate one activity from another: 

  • You should draw a line between your private life and work.
  • Some people have a hard time drawing a line between friends and family.

Draw Blood 

Use draw blood to express that something or someone has caused someone to bleed. This idiom is also used figuratively to express that someone hurt another emotionally:

  • He drew blood during his last five boxing matches.
  • She drew blood when she began to put down his friend. 

Draw Interest

Use draw interest to indicate that something has created interest or become popular:

  • Any time a new movie comes out, you'll see articles in magazines trying to draw interest to the movie.
  • His crazy comments drew interest during the presidential campaign.

Draw Someone Out 

Use draw someone out when you are asking questions in order to get someone to speak in detail about something:

  • Make sure to ask her lots of questions. It's hard to draw her out and she'll try to keep everything secret.
  • If you keep asking questions, you can draw anyone out on almost any subject.

Draw Something Out

Use draw something out to refer to a process that takes place over a long period of time:

  • The chairman drew the meeting out for over two hours.
  • It's a good idea to not draw out your presentation for too long.

Draw Fire Away From Something

Use draw fire away from something when someone creates a distraction so that people don't pay attention to something else:

  • I'd like you to go out and draw fire away from the institution.
  • Politicians don't answer direct questions in order to draw fire away from something that has gone wrong.

Draw Something to a Close

Use draw something to a close to express that you would like to finish something in progress:

  • Let's draw this meeting to a close by reviewing the decisions we've made.
  • If you don't mind, I'd like to draw dinner to a close. I've got an early flight tomorrow.

Draw Something Up

Use draw something up after having reached a verbal agreement when you intend a write a contract, proposal, or report based on the agreement:

  • Now that we've agreed. Let's draw a contract up and get to work.
  • Could you draw up a proposal for next week's meeting?

Draw the Line at Something

Use draw the line at something to show that you will tolerate something up to a certain point:

  • I'm afraid I draw the line at speaking poorly of my friends.
  • If you were in a difficult position, would you draw the line at breaking the law to resolve your situation?

Draw to a Close

Use draw to a close to indicate that something has come to an end:

  • Thank you, Mary. And with that, our presentation draws to a close. Thank you for coming this evening.
  • I'd like to draw the class to a close. Remember to do your homework for Monday.

Beat Someone to the Draw

Use beat someone to the draw when you are quicker than someone else in obtaining something:

  • He beat me to the draw and won the auction.
  • Jennifer beat us to the draw and arrived an hour earlier.

Quick on the Draw

Use quick on the draw to show that someone is quick to do or understand something:

  • She was quick to the draw on buying that handbag.
  • I'm afraid you'll have to be quicker on the draw on such a good deal.

Quiz

Use one of the idioms with draw to complete the blanks. Be careful to use the correct form of the verb draw:

  1. The new actor from South Africa is _________. I think she'll be a huge success.
  2. I'd like you to _________ a contract by the end of next week.
  3. She told me she ______________ her work and her family, so she wouldn't work more than 20 hours overtime.
  4. The politician _________ at the death penalty. 
  5. If you can _________ from my scandal, I'll make sure you get all of my business for the next two years.
  6. I don't know answer. I'm _________.
  7. You _________ me __________, so go ahead and take the last one on sale.
  8. I'd like to _________ the meeting _________. Thank you all for coming. 
  9. Ask her as many questions as you can, so you can _________. She's a fox!
  10. I promise I didn't _________ when I hit him!
  11. I tried to ________ her ________ on the details for the deal, but she wouldn't tell me anything.
  12. She's very ____________ and understands almost everything immediately.

Answers

  1. drawing interest
  2. draw up 
  3. drew the line between
  4. drew the line at / draws the line at
  5. draw fire away 
  6. drawing a blank
  7. beat me to the draw
  8. draw the meeting to a close
  9. draw her out
  10. draw blood
  11. draw her out
  12. quick on the draw
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Your Citation
Beare, Kenneth. "Draw - Idioms and Expressions." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/idioms-with-draw-1210658. Beare, Kenneth. (2023, April 5). Draw - Idioms and Expressions. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/idioms-with-draw-1210658 Beare, Kenneth. "Draw - Idioms and Expressions." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/idioms-with-draw-1210658 (accessed March 28, 2024).