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
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
Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
But the parents opting out point to research showing that students who used computers at school performed worse academically and that information is better retained when read on paper.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 16 Feb. 2026
With their top priority secured, Grisham returning to center field, Paul Goldschmidt recently re-signing for a reserve role, and some supplementary pieces retained or added, Judge ended up happy with the way the Yankees’ offseason concluded.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
Plant rosemary at the base of your pepper plants to repel insects and keep moisture retained in the soil.
—Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 16 Feb. 2026
Successful challenges are retained.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
In laboratory tests, the cell retained more than 85% of its usable capacity after eight hours at –29°F, a range where conventional batteries typically suffer dramatic performance losses.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 15 Feb. 2026
However, investigative documents recently released by the Department of Justice showed that Lutnick retained a strong relationship with Epstein following his 2008 conviction and even maintained a business partnership with him as recently as 2014.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 15 Feb. 2026
Moorad retained Towers through spring training and most of the season.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
Cocktail dresses and cozy twinsets have been swapped out for work-appropriate blazers and cardigans layered over shirts, though Rowe retained some of Jones’s flirty personality by dressing her in pieces such as a mini skirt, made more demure styled with stockings.
—Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
But the parents opting out point to research showing that students who used computers at school performed worse academically and that information is better retained when read on paper.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 16 Feb. 2026
With their top priority secured, Grisham returning to center field, Paul Goldschmidt recently re-signing for a reserve role, and some supplementary pieces retained or added, Judge ended up happy with the way the Yankees’ offseason concluded.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
Plant rosemary at the base of your pepper plants to repel insects and keep moisture retained in the soil.
—Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 16 Feb. 2026
Successful challenges are retained.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
In laboratory tests, the cell retained more than 85% of its usable capacity after eight hours at –29°F, a range where conventional batteries typically suffer dramatic performance losses.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 15 Feb. 2026
However, investigative documents recently released by the Department of Justice showed that Lutnick retained a strong relationship with Epstein following his 2008 conviction and even maintained a business partnership with him as recently as 2014.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 15 Feb. 2026
Moorad retained Towers through spring training and most of the season.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retained
Adjective
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The story begins with two teens fleeing into the night where one is killed by her possessed mother.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
-
David Dastmalchian stars as Jack Delroy, an opportunistic host who invites a possessed girl and a child psychologist as his guests for the night in a desperate bid for ratings.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The filings this week are part of an effort by JPMorgan Chase to have the case moved from state to federal court and to have the jurisdiction of the case moved to New York, which is where the bank accounts were located and where Trump kept much of his business operations until recently.—
Ken Sweet,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
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After Windward scored the first two points of the game, Valencia’s defense kept Windward off the board again until there was less than a minute left in the period.—
Tony Gleason,
Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Matakauri is owned by Robertson Lodges, from American billionaire Julian Robertson whose collection includes the equally wonderful Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers in the North Island.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
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Detroit entered the post-All-Star meeting holding a 2-0 lead in the three-game season series, which meant the Pistons owned the tiebreaker regardless of the outcome at The Garden on Thursday.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The brutal tactics employed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and various other federal agencies are intended to strike fear in immigrants and other people of color, primarily Black folks, as well as Transgender and LGBTQIA+ communities.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
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Investigators say a board member told them Hernandez used to be employed by the former property management company as the building's general maintenance employee, but then was placed on the building's direct payroll in 2024 when Obismo took over.—
Anna McAllister,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Shooter entered arena with two guns According to police, the shooter was a licensed gun owner and had a permit to carry out of Florida.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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For over a century, college football had regional identities.—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Duffy said that a number of states have hired other companies to administer commercial driver's licenses tests, and those companies aren't enforcing the standards that drivers are supposed to meet to demonstrate their driving and English skills.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
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In February 2025, NASA hired an independent team to determine why the mission failed, examining everything from broken hardware to leadership mistakes.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The move is meant to symbolize a shift away from the era’s repressive stance, though some critics argue the site should be preserved as a memory space for victims rather than repurposed commercially.—
Alessandra Freitas,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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The former film, from Joshua Seftel, follows CBS correspondent Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp on an essay project into the bedrooms of kids gunned down in school shootings, their private worlds heartbreakingly preserved by their families.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retained. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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