1
as in to keep
to continue to have in one's possession or power
I plan to retain the family heirlooms until my own children are mature enough to appreciate them, and then I will lovingly pass them on
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to have
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
that author retains the right to veto any changes in his books suggested by his publisher's notoriously intrusive editor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to employ
to provide with a paying job
her neighbor retained her as a nanny for the summer, thus giving her something to do until school started again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retain
Housed in a former grain and seed warehouse owned by the Hoyos family for generations, the hotel retains its historic bones while embracing a daring, contemporary aesthetic.
—
Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2025
Save Bear Creek Lake Park retained the legal services of water expert James Eklund, who was director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board from 2013-17.
—John Meyer, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2025
Even nestled into a tortilla with hot eggs, cheese and steam, the potatoes retain their crunch on the drive home.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025
During an interview earlier this week, Witkoff alluded to the idea that Iran would be able to retain uranium enriched to approximately 3.7% for the purposes of energy production.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retain
Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2025
Save Bear Creek Lake Park retained the legal services of water expert James Eklund, who was director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board from 2013-17.
—John Meyer, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2025
Even nestled into a tortilla with hot eggs, cheese and steam, the potatoes retain their crunch on the drive home.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025
During an interview earlier this week, Witkoff alluded to the idea that Iran would be able to retain uranium enriched to approximately 3.7% for the purposes of energy production.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retain
Verb
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The aviation industry expects the exemption to help companies keep costs down during a sharp pullback in travel spending by consumers worried about slower economic growth and higher inflation.—
Rajesh Kumar Singh,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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There is plenty to keep the Forest faithful enthused until the end of the season.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The movie set, like all others, should have only had blanks on hand, but somehow a number of live rounds made their way to the location and one such bullet ended up in the gun that went off as Hutchins and Baldwin lined up a shot in an old church.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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Choose your battles wisely—some arguments aren’t worth winning (or having).—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 May 2025
Verb
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The company created huge plants in America employing thousands and pushing the envelope for the home team in the EV space.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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Miller’s attorney, Joel Levine, told The Times that the FBI threw the book at his client as an overreaction to its mistake in keeping him employed.—
Christopher Goffard,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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At the lowest income levels, only about 13% of households held retirement accounts in 2022, according to the federal Survey of Consumer Finances.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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Lawlor has held the position as chief of operations for the Division of Criminal Justice since 2018 and supervised prosecutors involved in appeals, cases involving multiple jurisdictions, civil litigation, housing complaints, Medicaid fraud and other matters.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That expectation of secrecy continues indefinitely, with only the pope himself possessing the authority to make exceptions.—
Christopher Watson,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2025
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Both India and Pakistan possess nuclear weapons, and any military escalation could lead to catastrophic consequences.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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He's recruited by old friend Ruben (Javier Bardem) to join his underdog Formula 1 race team and tapped to mentor a rookie prodigy (Damson Idris).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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Bech became the sixth LSU WR that Joseph recruited in his five seasons in Baton Rouge picked in the top 60.—
Bruce Feldman,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Chromium uses chemicals to preserve the animal's skin, and offers more water and heat resistance for the leather products it's applied to.—
Gia Yetikyel,
Vogue,
26 Apr. 2025
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In recent years, civil rights groups and others have ramped up efforts to preserve the history of underrepresented communities in America.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Salah Salah, who owns the store with his parents, said his biggest challenge is figuring out what supplies to order and how much.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
21 Apr. 2025
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The pair, who had previously built bombs on a farm owned by Nichols’ brother, began gathering the materials needed to blow up a large-scale building.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retain. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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