Withholding Definition & Meaning

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 Many home buyers who are paying mortgages but have yet to receive their actual apartments are threatening to withhold payment. — Megha Mandavia, WSJ, 18 July 2022 In 2020, the N.C.A.A. pressured Mississippi lawmakers to remove Confederate imagery from its flag, threatening to withhold any championship events from the state. — New York Times, 10 June 2022 And Russia, by threatening to withhold energy exports to Europe, is being thrust closer to China. — Alan Crawford, Bloomberg.com, 11 Mar. 2022 Trump even tried to help corrupt Ukraine by threatening to withhold some military aide unless Zelenskiy was willing to lie for him about Joe Biden to help his reelection campaign. — Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 28 Feb. 2022 Broward schools opened on Wednesday with a mask mandate in defiance of Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Board of Education, which is threatening to withhold money from the school district. — Lois K. Solomon, sun-sentinel.com, 18 Aug. 2021 DeSantis is threatening to withhold the salaries of school superintendents and board members like Certain who institute mask mandates in defiance of his executive order that parents must decide how to protect their children in the pandemic. — Leyla Santiago And Sara Weisfeldt, CNN, 11 Aug. 2021 DeSantis issued an executive order blocking mask mandates in the state's schools last month, threatening to withhold funding from localities that implemented such measures. — Elinor Aspegren, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2021 But by threatening to withhold funding, legislative staffers may not be able to begin drawing maps, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, said at a virtual press conference last week. — Raga Justin, Dallas News, 30 July 2021 See More

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