She could barely draw breath, so tight was her chest with dread.

I mean "could barely draw" in the sense that the structure of many of his paintings were poorly grounded.

She gasped, laughing so hard that she could barely draw breath.

We shall begin with just a small incision, barely drawing blood.

Her throat closed so tightly she could barely draw a breath.

Fallon could barely draw breath past the ache in her heart.

Bowie's heart swelled so large he could barely draw breath.

Sekhmet sank claws in her for that, but briefly, barely drawing blood.

Patients bunk four or six to a room, some so debilitated that they can barely draw sheets over themselves.

I thank God that stuff cracked open, because he could barely draw a breath.