withdraw

with·draw

verb \with-ˈdrȯ, with-\

with·drew\-ˈdrü\with·drawn\-ˈdrȯn\with·draw·ing\-ˈdrȯ(-)iŋ\

Definition of WITHDRAW

transitive verb

1

a : to take back or away : remove <pressure upon educational administrators to withdraw academic credit — J. W. Scott>

b : to remove from use or cultivation

c : to remove (money) from a place of deposit

d : to turn away (as the eyes) from an object of attention <withdrew her gaze>

e : to draw (as a curtain) back or aside

2

a : to remove from consideration or set outside a group <withdrew his name from the list of nominees> <withdrew their child from the school>

b (1) : take back, retract (2) : to recall or remove (a motion) under parliamentary procedure

intransitive verb

1

a : to move back or away : retire

b : to draw back from a battlefield : retreat

2

a : to remove oneself from participation

b : to become socially or emotionally detached <had withdrawn farther and farther into herself — Ethel Wilson>

3

: to recall a motion under parliamentary procedure

— with·draw·able \-ˈdrȯ-ə-bəl\ adjective

Examples of WITHDRAW

1. She withdrew $200 from her checking account.
2. The prosecutor withdrew her question to the witness.
3. They have withdrawn the charges.
4. withdraw support for a candidate

Origin of WITHDRAW

Middle English, from with from + drawen to draw

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to WITHDRAW

Synonyms

back away, drop back, fall back, pull out, recede, retire, retreat

Antonyms

advance

Related Words

flee, fly; flinch, recoil, shrink; chicken (out); bow out; back down, backpedal, backtrack, climb down; detach, disengage, disentangle, pull away; abandon, depart, evacuate, go, leave, quit, vacate

Near Antonyms

beard, brave, brazen, breast, confront, dare, defy, face, outbrave

Rhymes with WITHDRAW

backsaw, band saw, bear claw, bedstraw, blue law, bucksaw, buzz saw, bylaw, case law, catclaw, cat's-paw, chain saw, Choctaw, coleslaw, Corn Law, crenshaw, cumshaw, cushaw, Danelaw, declaw, Esau, forepaw, fretsaw, glass jaw, grandma, grandpa, guffaw, hacksaw, handsaw, hawkshaw, hee-haw, hurrah, in-law, jackdaw, jackstraw, jigsaw, kickshaw, last straw, leash law, lockjaw, lynch law, macaw, Moose Jaw, Nassau, old-squaw, outdraw, outlaw, pasha, pawpaw, pit saw, pooh-bah, poor law, rickshaw, ringtaw, ripsaw, scofflaw, scrimshaw, scroll saw, seesaw, shield law, southpaw, Skiddaw, tack claw, trishaw, tussah, undraw, Utah, Warsaw, whipsaw, wiredraw

with·draw

verb \with-ˈdrȯ, with-\   (Medical Dictionary)

with·drew \-ˈdrü\ (audio pronunciation); with·drawn \-ˈdrȯn\ (audio pronunciation); with·draw·ing \-ˈdrȯ(-)iŋ\ (audio pronunciation)

Medical Definition of WITHDRAW

transitive verb

: to discontinue use or administration of <withdraw a drug>

intransitive verb

: to become socially or emotionally detached