withhold

verb

with·​hold with-ˈhōld 

wit͟h-

withheld with-ˈheld 

wit͟h-

; withholding

transitive verb

1

: to hold back from action : check

2

archaic : to keep in custody

3

: to refrain from granting, giving, or allowing

withhold permission

4

: to deduct (withholding tax) from income

intransitive verb

: forbear, refrain

withhold from commenting

withholder noun

Synonyms of withhold

• refuse
• deny
• reject
• decline

Choose the Right Synonym for withhold

keep, retain, detain, withhold, reserve mean to hold in one's possession or under one's control.

keep may suggest a holding securely in one's possession, custody, or control.

keep this while I'm gone

retain implies continued keeping, especially against threatened seizure or forced loss.

managed to retain their dignity even in poverty

detain suggests a delay in letting go.

detained them for questioning

withhold implies restraint in letting go or a refusal to let go.

withheld information from the authorities

reserve suggests a keeping in store for future use.

reserve some of your energy for the last mile

Examples of withhold in a Sentence

She was accused of withholding evidence.

She has $20 withheld from her paycheck every week.

Recent Examples on the Web

In Pittsburgh, about an hour away from the rural facility where Lillian was incarcerated, Chris, who chose to withhold his last name, went through the same withdrawal syndrome at the Allegheny County Jail. — Hannah Harris Green, STAT, 26 June 2026

For years the industry warned that its own creations were too dangerous to ship, going all the way back to OpenAI staging the GPT-2 release in 2019 and withholding the full model over misuse fears, and most of us read the danger talk as marketing wearing a lab coat. — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

The First Amendment Coalition contended that by withholding the records, the city violated the state Public Records Act as well as a portion of the state Constitution and a state law that controls which law enforcement records must legally be released. — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 June 2026

Investigators are looking into the shooting, and police said the identity of the victim is being withheld until next of kin is notified. — Jose Fabian, CBS News, 25 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from with from + holden to hold — more at with

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for withhold

• ahold
• behold
• billfold
• blindfold
• cajoled
• consoled
• controlled
• cotswold
• eightfold
• enfold
• enrolled
• extolled

Kids Definition

withhold

verb

with·​hold with-ˈhōld 

wit͟h-

withheld -ˈheld  ; withholding

1

: to hold back : restrain

withhold an angry response

2

: to refuse to grant, give, or allow

withhold permission

3

: to deduct (withholding tax) from income

withholder noun