1
as in kept
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in owned
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 employed
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 retained
Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Producers hold onto their rights and their IP and the value from our spend is retained in the UK, not across the Atlantic.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2025
He was then retained by Steichen for the past two years, but the team’s statistical slide on defense resulted in his firing.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
County Attorney Scott McClure was retained for 2025.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2025
Indianapolis came up one win short of the playoffs and Bradley was retained for a third season.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
The rest is retained by the agency, to pay its coordinators, translators and legal advisers, and the clinics that oversee the fertilization and pregnancy.
—Lili Rutai, The Dial, 7 Jan. 2025
President Jim Biggs, of the North District, retained his office after Morales nominated him, and Vice President Barb Regnitz, of the Center District, seconded the motion.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2025
Alabama retained almost the entirety of its starters from last season, and Smith appears to be a budding star after a strong end to the 2024 season.
—Kennington Smith Iii, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
Leicester have retained their former men’s training ground, Belvoir Drive, just outside the city centre, which is situated in a housing estate, and there is so far no information on the Land Registry of a sale.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Producers hold onto their rights and their IP and the value from our spend is retained in the UK, not across the Atlantic.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2025
He was then retained by Steichen for the past two years, but the team’s statistical slide on defense resulted in his firing.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
County Attorney Scott McClure was retained for 2025.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2025
Indianapolis came up one win short of the playoffs and Bradley was retained for a third season.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
The rest is retained by the agency, to pay its coordinators, translators and legal advisers, and the clinics that oversee the fertilization and pregnancy.
—Lili Rutai, The Dial, 7 Jan. 2025
President Jim Biggs, of the North District, retained his office after Morales nominated him, and Vice President Barb Regnitz, of the Center District, seconded the motion.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2025
Alabama retained almost the entirety of its starters from last season, and Smith appears to be a budding star after a strong end to the 2024 season.
—Kennington Smith Iii, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retained
Verb
-
She had been trapped in an air pocket, created by a security door that reportedly led to an attic, which kept her alive.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
11 Mar. 2025
-
Throughout the crisis, staffers kept everyone safe while maintaining the same high level of service and hospitality.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In many ways, the Twins’ sale mirrors that of the Nationals, who are owned by the Lerner family and have members of the family who were adamantly against the team changing hands.—
Ken Rosenthal,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Should development go according to plan, the liquor store, owned by BTX Bottle Shoppe, LLC, will occupy the former Tuesday Morning retail site in the shopping center at 654 SW Wilshire Blvd.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The Paycheck Protection Program was established in 2020 to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the coronavirus pandemic, and ended in May 2021.—
Kevin Sabet,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Toma Sparks and Justin Jenkins are still employed by the Johnson City Police Department.—
Ronan Farrow,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
How to describe the romantic ski weekend montage involving a possessed snowman, in what seems to be an homage to the Wham!—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Jealous, murderous, possessed spouses lend themselves well to cinema, but glimpses of a couple gulping up each other’s daily air is trickier to convey.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
31 July 2025
Verb
-
During 9/11, people walked down the stairs in single file and held the door open for each other.—
Rascal Kemble-Curry,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Ensign said the Department of Homeland Security is complying with the law during deportations, and people could file challenges individually in Texas, where they were held before being sent to El Salvador.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Musk had a prominent seat in the House gallery near the First Lady, even as some Democratic lawmakers brought guests who were directly impacted by his DOGE initiatives, including fired federal workers and others who have felt the effects of a government funding freeze.—
Nik Popli,
TIME,
5 Mar. 2025
-
But yes, that was cold-blooded to Dickson, who clearly had a crush on her.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Manager Craig Counsell hired Quintin Berry and Jose Javier to be his base coaches for a reason.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Separately, the Health Department hired the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors to audit Perkins.—
Katie Mettler,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Some sets were constructed in Toronto, disassembled and shipped out and have now been preserved for a potential second season.—
Amber Dowling,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Yet Flores would like to see our historic places — which are in fact the city’s Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) — not preserved.—
Bruce D Coons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retained. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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