withdrawal

noun

with·draw·al | \ wit͟h-ˈdrȯ(-ə)l

, with-\

Definition of withdrawal

1a : the act of taking back or away something that has been granted or possessed

b : removal from a place of deposit or investment

c(1) : the discontinuance of administration or use of a drug

(2) : the syndrome of often painful physical and psychological symptoms that follows discontinuance of an addicting drug a heroin addict going through withdrawal

2a : retreat or retirement especially into a more secluded or less exposed place or position

b : an operation by which a military force disengages from the enemy

c(1) : social or emotional detachment

(2) : a pathological retreat from objective reality (as in some schizophrenic states)

3 : retraction, revocation threatened us with withdrawal of consent

4a : the act of drawing someone or something back from or out of a place or position

b : coitus interruptus

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Examples of withdrawal in a Sentence

The general authorized the withdrawal of troops from the fields. She made a withdrawal from her checking account. He underwent rehab to help him through his withdrawal from heroin. She experienced symptoms of nicotine withdrawal after she quit smoking.

Recent Examples on the Web

NBC News reports that Trump asked the Pentagon to come up with plans for a partial withdrawal and is still weighing his options; however, other reports suggest that Trump’s mind is all but made up. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "Trump will reportedly remove 7,000 troops from Afghanistan," 21 Dec. 2018 Things have gotten so bad that our only effective punishment is withdrawal of Minecraft. — Steve Brykman, Ars Technica, "Forget Fortnite—my son is still obsessed with Minecraft," 16 Dec. 2018 Many have warned that a premature U.S. withdrawal from Syria would cede the country to Iran and Russia, which have supported Syrian President Bashar Assad. — Andrew O'reilly, Fox News, "White House: US mission in Syria coming to 'rapid end'," 2 Oct. 2018 While traditional IRAs can also grow tax-free, withdrawals are typically taxed at ordinary income rates. — Laura Saunders, WSJ, "When to Ignore the Crowd and Shun a Roth IRA," 17 Aug. 2018 Rules for 529 plans were established by Congress in 1996, and the plans began growing more quickly after 2001, when withdrawals were made tax-free. — Ann Carrns, New York Times, "Free Tickets. Money. College Savings Plans Try to Stir Up Interest.," 25 May 2018 People in the industry reckon that a withdrawal of British co-operation could at least slow down the project. — The Economist, "Britain’s space industry, Brexit’s final frontier," 3 May 2018 But for people with opioid addiction, the pain of withdrawal means that moment can pass quickly, replaced by powerful urges to use again to make the misery stop. — Aubrey Whelan, Philly.com, "Philadelphia hopes this 24-hour treatment center will save lives in the opioid crisis," 11 July 2018 Without this medication, he was forced to endure the agony of withdrawal over several days. — Brian Barnett, STAT, "Jails and prisons: the unmanned front in the battle against the opioid epidemic," 2 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'withdrawal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Statistics for withdrawal

Last Updated

10 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for withdrawal

The first known use of withdrawal was in 1749

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More Definitions for withdrawal

withdrawal

noun

English Language Learners Definition of withdrawal

: an act of moving something away or taking something away

: an act of ending your involvement in something

: the act of taking money out of a bank account

See the full definition for withdrawal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

withdrawal

noun

with·draw·al | \ wit͟h-ˈdrȯ-əl

, with-\

Kids Definition of withdrawal

: an act or instance of withdrawing

withdrawal

noun

with·draw·al | \ -ˈdrȯ(ə-)l

Medical Definition of withdrawal

1a : a pathological retreat from objective reality (as in some schizophrenic states)

b : social or emotional detachment

2a : the discontinuance of administration or use of a drug

b : the syndrome of often painful physical and psychological symptoms that follows discontinuance of an addicting substance a heroin addict going through withdrawal

3 : coitus interruptus