retain

1
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

Synonym Chooser

How is the word retain distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of retain are detain, keep, reserve, and withhold. While all these words mean "to hold in one's possession or under one's control," retain implies continued keeping, especially against threatened seizure or forced loss.

managed to retain their dignity even in poverty

When is detain a more appropriate choice than retain?

The meanings of detain and retain largely overlap; however, detain suggests a delay in letting go.

detained them for questioning

When might keep be a better fit than retain?

In some situations, the words keep and retain are roughly equivalent. However, keep may suggest a holding securely in one's possession, custody, or control.

keep this while I'm gone

When can reserve be used instead of retain?

The words reserve and retain are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, reserve suggests a keeping in store for future use.

reserve some of your energy for the last mile

In what contexts can withhold take the place of retain?

The words withhold and retain can be used in similar contexts, but withhold implies restraint in letting go or a refusal to let go.

withheld information from the authorities

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of retain The Knicks can also retain Hukporti and P.J. Tucker by exercising team options. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 3 June 2025 Universities doing research could attract and retain the best talent, which wouldn’t be satisfied just teaching undergraduates. Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 3 June 2025 According to the California Library Association, summer reading programs help children and teens retain and enhance their reading skills over the summer and benefit adults by stimulating the brain, increasing vocabulary and sparking imagination. Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 3 June 2025 Employers must retain personnel records and ADS data, including inputs, outputs, and data used to develop or customize the system, for at least four years. Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for retain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retain
Verb
  • Except for what keeps coming up in this most interesting of books.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • Battling drug addiction, Sink signed up for a Planet Fitness membership with the hope working out would keep him sober, according to a probable cause statement obtained by the Indianapolis Star.
    Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • The early-season Cy Young candidate and All-Star hopeful now has a 1.78 ERA 13 starts into his Yankees career.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 6 June 2025
  • Trump will never have any tolerance for business leaders who challenge Trump’s authority.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • As of March 2025, Burberry employed approximately 8,700 people, nearly 500 fewer than the 9,200 employed in 2024.
    Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • China has been employing its navy to further expand its military reach and presence, challenging America's naval dominance in the Pacific Ocean.
    Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • Toothless holds his own alongside Hiccup, even as the actor appears in what look more like sets than bona fide locations.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 June 2025
  • A number of the protesters held high the flags of South American countries like Mexico as the U.S. flag burned on the ground.
    Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • The countries each possess about 170 nuclear weapons, according to the think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
  • In addition to their easily identifiable personas, these faces must possess genuine leadership qualities and backgrounds to guide the movement in the right direction.
    Katelyn Hutchison, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • One way, Park said, would be to have researchers recruit a large, representative sample of patients, measure their levels of exposure and follow them for years, perhaps until death.
    The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2025
  • Over 400 adults with a diabetic foot ulcer that appeared closed or healed to the eye were recruited to the study.
    Paul McClure June 02, New Atlas, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • The approved budget would preserve the portion of the program for those 65 and older, allocating $110 million for that coverage.
    Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2025
  • For You, these acts are attempts to preserve art’s political orientation as left-wing and capitalism-critical—albeit produced under extreme capitalist conditions and in full awareness of that cognitive dissonance.
    Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • The Qataris brought in Rosewood, a luxury hotel chain that was started in Dallas and is now owned by a Hong Kong conglomerate.
    Mark Landler, New York Times, 7 June 2025
  • Jesse Cole, along with his wife Emily, owns the Bananas.
    Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 7 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Retain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retain. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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