ENGLISH
REFERENCE

draw down

phr. v..
C1 Advanced Oxford

phr. v.. to use or take money from a fund or a supply that you have saved. You might do this with a bank account, a loan, or a natural resource.

phr. v.. to deplete a reserve, fund, or resource by withdrawing or consuming a portion of it; often used in financial, military, or environmental contexts.


SIMPLE

She had to draw down her savings to pay for the car repairs.

CONTEXTUAL

The government plans to draw down the national oil reserves to lower fuel prices for consumers.

COMPLEX

Investors were advised to draw down their pension funds gradually to minimize the impact of capital gains tax during the fiscal year.

Particles
down
Separability
optional
Pattern
draw + (object) + down
Usage

Commonly used with objects like 'funds', 'savings', 'reserves', or 'loans'.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'withdraw' (general) and 'deplete' (formal); 'draw down' implies a systematic or planned reduction of a specific supply.

Pitfall

He drew down of his account.He drew down his account.The verb is transitive and takes a direct object without the preposition 'of'.

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