1
as in to refuse
to be unwilling to grant
must withhold official approval until all the proper forms have been submitted
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to retain
to continue to have in one's possession or power
withhold some money for your own expenses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of withhold
Despite the money being available, people inside and outside the government say the State Department is deliberately withholding some of the funds.
—
Fatma Tanis, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
Elmore is accused of supplying drugs that were used to kill one of the Killing Fields victims, and of withholding information about the killings from authorities for more than 40 years.
—John Wayne Ferguson, Houston Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Employers must comply with federal and state wage laws, withhold and remit payroll taxes, provide Forms W-2, pay unemployment taxes, and meet other employment requirements.
—David Schepp, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In a February 2025 letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, Bondi requested all withheld Epstein documents and demanded an investigation into why they had not been delivered to her office.
—Politifact, Dallas Morning News, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for withhold
Fatma Tanis, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
Elmore is accused of supplying drugs that were used to kill one of the Killing Fields victims, and of withholding information about the killings from authorities for more than 40 years.
—John Wayne Ferguson, Houston Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Employers must comply with federal and state wage laws, withhold and remit payroll taxes, provide Forms W-2, pay unemployment taxes, and meet other employment requirements.
—David Schepp, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In a February 2025 letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, Bondi requested all withheld Epstein documents and demanded an investigation into why they had not been delivered to her office.
—Politifact, Dallas Morning News, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for withhold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for withhold
Verb
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Increasingly, judges are opting to sanction lawyers who submit briefs tainted by AI errors, Moylan said, sometimes fining those who refuse to admit wrongdoing or referring them to their state’s bar association for disciplinary actions.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Like the impish anti-romance that crumbles around it, the movie’s twist is both transgressive enough to be pleased with itself and also rooted in a reality that refuses to be dismissed as a bad joke.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To forecast what comes next, a system must retain traces of what came before—but not too much.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Apr. 2026
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The joint campaign has focused intensely on destroying and degrading Iran's missile defenses, but Tehran has retained the capability to hit back across the region.—
Mosheh Gains,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For certain great artists, Meis believes, the creative act is a safe harbor where life’s pressures, exigencies, and calamities aren’t so much denied or resolved as reimagined as pictorial dramas.—
Jed Perl,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Judge Antonio Arzola denied the request for a standard bond, citing probable cause, and issued an elevated $5,000 bond.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The play began with Segovia, who got the ball into the path of Ian Fray, who raced it down and kept it in, and passed it directly to Messi’s head.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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Inside, one side of the suitcase features a zipped compartment—useful for keeping toiletries and smaller items contained safely—while the other has a robust compression system with a notably sturdy strap and weighty steel buckle.—
Charley Ward,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Olsson rejects The Athletic’s offer to take cover inside the coffee shop.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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Last week, for example, the UK government rejected plans by a Chinese company, Ming Yang, to invest in a Scottish factory to produce wind turbine blades, citing national security reasons.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Perry's representative confirmed to USA TODAY on Tuesday that the workers were eventually allowed to hold onto the gift cards after confusion was cleared up.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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However, the Heat holds the tiebreaker, so the Hornets are in 10th place in the conference with six games left.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Both declined interview requests.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The Backstreet Boys member attempted to use the video to press battery charges against Gallagher, but prosecutors declined to do so after seeing the video supported Gallagher's version of events, per the outlet.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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More elderly people could find themselves at the mercy of an obscure government program meant to save them from harm and preserve their dignity when their ability to take care of themselves is diminished.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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The detective requested that Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok preserve her accounts.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Withhold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/withhold. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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