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
The male driver’s identity is being withheld pending identification by the coroner’s office and notification of family.
—
John Aguilar, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025
Several Bay Area Democrats withheld support, including Assembly members Diane Papan of San Mateo, Liz Ortega of Hayward and Josh Becker of Menlo Park.
—Kate Talerico, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
Law enforcement searched the couple’s phones and found a video of the dad taunting the boy with a bottle of water and withholding it as the boy could be heard asking for it, according to the report.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
Estimates provided by the North Dakota Petroleum Council suggest companies withhold at least hundreds of millions of dollars in North Dakota every year.
—Jacob Orledge, ProPublica, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for withhold
John Aguilar, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025
Several Bay Area Democrats withheld support, including Assembly members Diane Papan of San Mateo, Liz Ortega of Hayward and Josh Becker of Menlo Park.
—Kate Talerico, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
Law enforcement searched the couple’s phones and found a video of the dad taunting the boy with a bottle of water and withholding it as the boy could be heard asking for it, according to the report.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
Estimates provided by the North Dakota Petroleum Council suggest companies withhold at least hundreds of millions of dollars in North Dakota every year.
—Jacob Orledge, ProPublica, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for withhold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for withhold
Verb
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The Supreme Court deemed unconstitutional the line-item veto in 1998, by which former President Bill Clinton unilaterally refused to spend money appropriated for particular purposes.—
Kevin R. Kosar,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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In June, the Democratic group of senators accused the Department of Education of refusing to comply with Warren's monthslong congressional investigation into what, if any, records have been accessed by DOGE employees that could be sensitive.—
Arthur Jones II,
ABC News,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The brands that double down on efforts to retain customers through engagement and personalized experiences stand to win on two fronts–retaining more customers while attracting consumers dissatisfied with their current banking experience.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Always in darkness, PSRs are thought to retain water ice that, if present, could be converted into drinkable water, breathable oxygen and rocket fuel.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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South Korea had its three best attackers denied by European clubs.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Sep. 2025
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Judge Stark denied Blue Water’s request to extend the timeline, but did give the company access to the Citgo data room used in the process, which doesn’t entirely shut the door on Hernandez’s firm.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Eyes Shop your favorite category or keep scrolling for the year's very best mascaras, brow gels, and eye-shadow palettes.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Adding flip-flops kept it less serious.—
Libby Page,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In July 2007, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves after rejecting an eight-year, $140 million contract extension.—
Taylor Millard,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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Ukrainians overwhelmingly reject ceding territory.—
Oleksandra Matviichuk,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Lift the wiper arms gently and make sure they're held firmly in place.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
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And the timing of Williams’ recent improvement may represent a good sign for the Yankees, who are still holding onto a glimmer of hope of winning the AL East while attempting to secure the first wild-card spot and homefield advantage.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Local police sought to have an alert sent out the Friday before they were found dead, but the agency that manages the program in Washington state declined to do so.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
19 Sep. 2025
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Investors eventually demanded their money back, causing Artamonov to return less than $400,000 by paying original investors with money from new investors or by declining to reimburse them at all, the indictment said.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Seven months into his presidency, his administration has paused efforts to preserve affordable housing redevelopments nationwide.—
Lizzie Kane,
Boston Herald,
19 Sep. 2025
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Staying informed on fiscal and monetary trends, stress-testing your business against different economic scenarios and exploring digital assets can help preserve resilience and long-term growth.—
Alex Pron,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Withhold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/withhold. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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