1
as in to keep
to continue to have in one's possession or power
I plan to retain the family heirlooms until my own children are mature enough to appreciate them, and then I will lovingly pass them on
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to have
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
that author retains the right to veto any changes in his books suggested by his publisher's notoriously intrusive editor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to employ
to provide with a paying job
her neighbor retained her as a nanny for the summer, thus giving her something to do until school started again
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retain
The sponsor retains responsibility for the content and holds the copyright to their material.
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Pismo Beach Conference and Visitor Bureau, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2025
In the aftermath, the motion states, Doe retained legal counsel and, following months of negotiations, was able to reach a settlement with Schrader’s lawyers in February of this year.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 4 Apr. 2025
Status quo supporters claim voters still choose because the appointee must run for election to retain the seat.
—Bob Marshall, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2025
His effort backfired, and the state court retained its 4-3 liberal majority.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retain
Pismo Beach Conference and Visitor Bureau, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2025
In the aftermath, the motion states, Doe retained legal counsel and, following months of negotiations, was able to reach a settlement with Schrader’s lawyers in February of this year.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 4 Apr. 2025
Status quo supporters claim voters still choose because the appointee must run for election to retain the seat.
—Bob Marshall, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2025
His effort backfired, and the state court retained its 4-3 liberal majority.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retain
Verb
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Below are the ones that will help keep the area around your nose clear and irritation-free.—
Daley Quinn,
Glamour,
15 Apr. 2025
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Most of the soups’ packaging carried instructions to keep the soups frozen until ready to use.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The play-in tournament means you are certified to have had a mediocre season, like Miami’s 37-45.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
19 Apr. 2025
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Seven additional people involved in the collision had minor injuries.—
Amy McDaniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The company created huge plants in America employing thousands and pushing the envelope for the home team in the EV space.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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Full assembly plants employ thousands of workers and are more like manufacturing cities, made up of a body shop, paint plant, stamping and other supporting facilities.—
Michael Wayland,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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At the lowest income levels, only about 13% of households held retirement accounts in 2022, according to the federal Survey of Consumer Finances.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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Lawlor has held the position as chief of operations for the Division of Criminal Justice since 2018 and supervised prosecutors involved in appeals, cases involving multiple jurisdictions, civil litigation, housing complaints, Medicaid fraud and other matters.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That expectation of secrecy continues indefinitely, with only the pope himself possessing the authority to make exceptions.—
Christopher Watson,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2025
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Both India and Pakistan possess nuclear weapons, and any military escalation could lead to catastrophic consequences.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Hailing from San Jose, California, she’s risen through the soccer ranks: She was recruited by Stanford University and four years later drafted number one in the 2022 NWSL Draft.—
Alexandra York,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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Coach Brandon Hopkins called her one of the best pitchers in the nation and expects her to be recruited by top division one programs.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In recent years, civil rights groups and others have ramped up efforts to preserve the history of underrepresented communities in America.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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Kawhi Leonard’s Game 2 gem should be preserved for all eternity.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Salah Salah, who owns the store with his parents, said his biggest challenge is figuring out what supplies to order and how much.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
21 Apr. 2025
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The pair, who had previously built bombs on a farm owned by Nichols’ brother, began gathering the materials needed to blow up a large-scale building.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retain. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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