withstand

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verb with·stand \with-ˈstand, with-\

: to not be harmed or affected by (something)

: to deal with (something, such as an attack or criticism) successfully

with·stood\-ˈstu̇d\with·stand·ing

Full Definition of WITHSTAND

transitive verb

1

a :  to stand up against :  oppose with firm determination; especially :  to resist successfully

b :  to be proof against :  resist the effect of <withstand the impact of a landing — Current Biography>

2

archaic :  to stop or obstruct the course of

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Examples of WITHSTAND

1. cookware that can withstand high temperatures
2. I couldn't withstand the rigors of army life.
3. They withstood attacks from many critics.

Origin of WITHSTAND

Middle English, from Old English withstandan, from with against + standan to stand

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to WITHSTAND

Synonyms

buck, defy, fight, oppose, repel, resist

Antonyms

bow (to), capitulate (to), give in (to), knuckle under (to), stoop (to), submit (to), succumb (to), surrender (to), yield (to)

Related Words

battle, combat, contend (with); challenge, contest, contradict, dispute; baffle, balk, foil, frustrate, thwart; check, counter, hinder, obstruct, stem

See Synonym Discussion at oppose

Rhymes with WITHSTAND

armband, at hand, backhand, backland, badland, bandstand, barehand, benchland, blackland, brass band, broadband, brushland, bushland, cabstand, cloudland, coastland, co-brand, command, cowhand, crash-land, cropland, crown land, dead hand, deckhand, demand, disband, dockhand, dockland, downland, dreamland, dryland, duneland, expand, farmhand, farmland, fenland, field hand, filmland, firebrand, firsthand, flatland, forehand, four-hand, free hand, freehand, gangland, glad-hand, Gotland, grandstand, grassland, handstand, hardstand, hatband, headband, headstand, heartland, heathland, home stand, hour hand, Iceland, in hand, inkstand, inland, iron hand, jack stand, jug band, kickstand, Kokand, Lapland, left-hand, longhand, lymph gland, mainland, marshland, misbrand, newsstand, nightstand, northland, noseband, off-brand, offhand, oil gland, old hand, on hand, outland, outstand, parkland, passband, pineland, playland, proband, Queensland, quicksand, rangeland, remand, repand, Rhineland, ribband, right-hand, rimland, ring stand, roband, salt gland, scabland, screenland, scrubland, seastrand, shorthand, sideband, southland, spaceband, stagehand, steel band, summand, swampland, sweatband, sweat gland, tar sand, Thailand, thirdhand, tideland, trainband, unhand, unmanned, waistband, washstand, watchband, wave band, wetland, whip hand, wildland, wristband, X band