The birth was a drawn-out affair, with more speeches than a quadruple wedding.

Instead of seeking an alternative political process, as a number of us proposed, we attempted to salvage the elections in a messy, drawn-out affair that satisfied almost no-one.

As stories go, it may not even be entirely accurate, but the facts will soon count for little in what's likely to be a drawn-out affair.

Constant rain and bad light interruptions turned the match into a long, drawn-out affair.

Recoveries from banking crashes are long, painful, drawn-out affairs that premature rate rises can easily dislodge.

But suppose you and your family have never experienced the drawn-out battle of life-threatening illness?

One of the building requirements — after a drawn-out battle over planning — was that the site had to include a cultural centre.

However, some villagers fearful for the future and the prospect of a long, drawn-out battle have already moved away.

Alternatives ranged from a quick war to a drawn-out battle with sweeping global economic ramifications.

Sporadic clashes were intermittent throughout the conflict, with hostilities climaxing in 1974 with drawn-out battles.

It's been a long and drawn-out process involving lots of negotiations between legal teams.

She describes her experience of transitioning as a slow, drawn-out process.

It's never a drawn-out process.

It was a painful and drawn-out process.

There has been a 155% rise in equal pay cases coming to tribunal over the past year alone, but it's a painfully slow and drawn-out process.