draw time away

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "draw time away" is not commonly used in written English and may not be clear in meaning.
It could be used in contexts where you want to express the idea of taking time from something or someone, but it may require additional context for clarity. Example: "The constant distractions in the office tend to draw time away from our productive hours."

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

While seeing first-hand how a bill becomes a law is important for school children, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz said she can also appreciate the argument that such proposals draw time away from more pressing matters such as the state's finances.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

These RNC reformers note the weird way in which the 2012 debate season played out allowed obvious losers like Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann the chance to be the perceived frontrunner, drawing time and attention away from more viable candidates.

Huffington Post

Of course, you shouldn't mislead or lie in a CV, but this doesn't mean that you have to draw attention to your time away from science.

Science Magazine

Evans came through three rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time away from Wimbledon.

BBC

Action speaks louder than pink — and with 40,000 women in this country dying every year of breast cancer, it is time to draw attention away from awareness to addressing the involuntary environmental exposures that are contributing to breast-cancer rates.

The New York Times - Magazine

Some more time away together.

The New York Times

Time away: 17 years.

BBC

Spend time away.

WikiHow

Take time away from them.

WikiHow

The multiple trips a day to and from water sources eat up women's time, drawing them away from other activities like education and employment.

The Guardian

"Even if she is going to be back in the gym, I know she's not going to be able to have contact yet and still has a couple movies to film, which will draw her away from her time toward training.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "draw time away", ensure the context clearly indicates what is losing time and what it is being drawn to. This phrase is uncommon, so clarity is essential.

Common error

Avoid using "draw time away" when a more common phrase like "take time away" or "steal time from" would be clearer and more readily understood. The uncommon nature of the phrase can cause confusion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "draw time away" functions as a verb phrase, indicating the action of diverting or extracting time from a source. Ludwig AI notes its uncommon nature.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "draw time away" is a relatively uncommon verb phrase that means to divert or take time from something. According to Ludwig AI, it's not a commonly used expression and may not be clear in meaning. While grammatically acceptable, simpler and more common alternatives like "take time away" or ""steal time from"" are often preferred for clarity. Usage is primarily found in News & Media and Wiki sources. When using this phrase, ensure the context is clear to avoid confusion.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

take time away

Replaces "draw" with "take", focusing on the act of removing time. Simpler and more direct.

steal time from

Implies a surreptitious or unauthorized taking of time.

divert time from

Highlights the redirection of time from one activity to another.

detract time from

Emphasizes the negative impact of the time being taken away.

reduce time available for

Focuses on the consequence of less time being available.

cut into one's time

Suggests an intrusion on someone's schedule.

encroach on time

Implies a gradual and unwelcome reduction of time.

eat into time

Suggests that something consumes time gradually.

infringe on time

Highlights the violation of someone's time or schedule.

occupy time

Focuses on how something is using or filling time, possibly preventing other uses of that time.

FAQs

What does "draw time away" mean?

"Draw time away" means to divert or take time from one activity or purpose to another. It's not a commonly used phrase and may require context to be clearly understood.

What can I say instead of "draw time away"?

You can use alternatives like "take time away", ""steal time from"", or "divert time from" depending on the context.

Is it better to use "draw time away" or "take time away"?

"Take time away" is generally preferred as it's more common and easily understood. "Draw time away" is less frequent and might sound unusual to some.

How can I use "draw time away" in a sentence?

Example: "The unexpected meeting tended to draw time away from completing urgent tasks." However, consider if a simpler phrase would be clearer.