withdraw

verb

with·​draw wit͟h-ˈdrȯ 

with-

withdrew wit͟h-ˈdrü 

with-

; withdrawn wit͟h-ˈdrȯn 

with-

; withdrawing wit͟h-ˈdrȯ(-)iŋ 

with-

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 (something, such as one's eyes) from an object of attention

withdrew her gaze

e

: to draw (something, such 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had withdrawn farther and farther into herself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

withdrawable

wit͟h-ˈdrȯ-ə-bəl 

with-

adjective

Synonyms

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

Examples of withdraw in a Sentence

She withdrew $200 from her checking account.

The prosecutor withdrew her question to the witness.

They have withdrawn the charges.

withdraw support for a candidate

Recent Examples on the Web

The boy's parents, meanwhile, have withdrawn their son from IPS and are now homeschooling him. —Tony Cook, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024

Last year, Buc-ee’s withdrew North Carolina plans to open a travel center with a 64,000-square-foot store in Efland, about 41 miles northwest of Raleigh, after encountering resistance from residents and Orange County Board of Commissioners wanting to scale the project down. —Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 17 Apr. 2024

By Christine Adams / Made by History April 16, 2024 11:15 AM EDT In mid-February, Ukrainian forces were forced to withdraw from Avdiivka, signaling the first major Russian victory since the capture of Bakhmut in May 2023. —TIME, 16 Apr. 2024

Gore was named by Gloria to the ethics commission last year before withdrawing his name amid opposition. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2024

His father withdrew emotionally in the face of the mounting trauma, leaving David largely to take care of himself. —Clay Risen, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024

The shortages forced Kyiv’s military to withdraw from a key eastern city in February, and with no progress in Washington, Ukrainian soldiers are now desperately trying to hold on to their positions along some 600 miles of the front line. —Daryna Mayer, NBC News, 12 Apr. 2024

President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement in 2018 was seen as a blow to Tehran and a victory for Israel. —Peter Kenyon, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024

No breach between the two countries has been as wide or as deep since the mid-1950s, when the Eisenhower administration compelled Israel to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula. —Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from with from + drawen to draw

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

withdraw

verb

with·​draw wit͟h-ˈdrȯ 

with-

withdrew -ˈdrü  ; withdrawn -ˈdrȯn  ; withdrawing -ˈdrȯ(-)iŋ 

1

: to take back or away : draw away : remove

withdraw money from the bank

2

a

: to call back : recall

withdrew the charge of theft

b

: to take back (one's words) : retract

3

: to go away : retreat

withdrew to the country

Medical Definition

withdraw

verb

with·​draw wit͟h-ˈdrȯ  with- 

withdrew -ˈdrü  ; withdrawn -ˈdrȯn  ; withdrawing -ˈdrȯ(-)iŋ 

transitive verb

: to discontinue use or administration of

withdraw a drug

intransitive verb

: to become socially or emotionally detached

Legal Definition

withdraw

verb

with·​draw

withdrew; withdrawn; withdrawing

transitive verb

1

: to remove (money) from a place of deposit or investment

2

: to dismiss (a juror) from a jury

3

a

: to eliminate from consideration or set outside a category or group

withdraw his candidacy

b

: to cease to proceed with

withdrew the question after an objection was sustained

c

: to take back

withdraw a plea

d

: to remove (a motion) from consideration under parliamentary procedure

intransitive verb

1

: to remove oneself from participation

withdraw from a case

specifically : to cease participation in a conspiracy by an affirmative act of renunciation especially involving confession to the authorities or communication of abandonment to co-conspirators

2

: to remove a motion from consideration under parliamentary procedure