From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdrag on phrasal verbPASS/TIME PASSINGif an event or situation drags on, it continues for too long for an expensive court battle that could drag on for years → drag→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
drag on• Despair grew as the war dragged on.• The history lesson dragged on for another hour.• The fighting dragged on for another two years before a settlement was finally reached.• I can't afford to let the case drag on for months.• Lawsuits about titles to land often drag on for years without settlement.• Presidential campaigns seem to drag on forever.• The siege dragged on into its second month.• Analysts fear the downturn will drag on into next year.• If the stalemate drags on, there could be serious consequences for the town's population.• The meeting dragged on until late afternoon.• The talks dragged on, with no apparent hope of achieving a peaceful solution.drag for• The conflict has already dragged on for five years; thousands have died.• It was a bureaucratic battle that was to drag on for more than five years.• The controversy dragged on for several years.• The result was controversy between Vienna and St Petersburg which dragged on for two decades.• And an expensive court battle will drag on for years; and, whatever the out-come, the owner loses.• Since the cases drag on for years, the rules can change two or three times in the course of one case.• An automobile collision happens in seconds, but if there is an injury, the litigation can drag on for years.• The litigation will probably drag on for years. 