1
as in keeping
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 owning
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 employing
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
as in retention
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of retaining
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Tony East, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
And yet, despite the somewhat shaky premise—retaining the services of an insurance company that isn’t State Farm is like hiring the All About the Bass warbler to oversee your star quarterback’s injury prevention and/or rehabilitation regimen—the spot hasn’t worn out its welcome.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Fresh herbs are often higher in vitamins and antioxidants, especially when added late in the cooking process, better retaining their nutrients.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 11 Sep. 2025
The football landscape has changed 20 years on, and 10 new signings show United wanted to change the squad, but there is evident faith in retaining the nucleus of Farke’s 2025 centurions.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
This allows for young Future to share the same last name as his household while retaining a connection to his biological father.
—Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 5 Sep. 2025
First released in 2023, the Loewe Squeeze bag feels just as casual as Lawrence’s plain white tee, while retaining the timeless quality of its luxury counterparts.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
But this year’s Series 11 likely won’t be a dramatic update, with Apple retaining the same look, including a new screen that ups the maximum brightness and shuffling its color (the Jet Black Series 10, for instance, has had chipping issues) and band offerings.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
The first trailer just dropped and the film looks as grimly compelling as its predecessor, while hopefully also retaining something of the 2025 film's heart.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
Lynch retaining seems likely, but Bella’s presence brings nostalgia and star power for the international audience.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
For an Indiana group that has high hopes, retaining effective young talent is a must.
—Tony East, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
And yet, despite the somewhat shaky premise—retaining the services of an insurance company that isn’t State Farm is like hiring the All About the Bass warbler to oversee your star quarterback’s injury prevention and/or rehabilitation regimen—the spot hasn’t worn out its welcome.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Fresh herbs are often higher in vitamins and antioxidants, especially when added late in the cooking process, better retaining their nutrients.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 11 Sep. 2025
The football landscape has changed 20 years on, and 10 new signings show United wanted to change the squad, but there is evident faith in retaining the nucleus of Farke’s 2025 centurions.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
This allows for young Future to share the same last name as his household while retaining a connection to his biological father.
—Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 5 Sep. 2025
First released in 2023, the Loewe Squeeze bag feels just as casual as Lawrence’s plain white tee, while retaining the timeless quality of its luxury counterparts.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
But this year’s Series 11 likely won’t be a dramatic update, with Apple retaining the same look, including a new screen that ups the maximum brightness and shuffling its color (the Jet Black Series 10, for instance, has had chipping issues) and band offerings.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
The first trailer just dropped and the film looks as grimly compelling as its predecessor, while hopefully also retaining something of the 2025 film's heart.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaining
Verb
-
Outside of Seville, Thompson, Lyles, and Bednarek keeping the Jamaica versus USA rivalry alive, the most notable observation of the race is that 50% of the finalists were from African nations, a strong feat for an event typically dominated by the aforementioned countries.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
While Hadden-Paton was unsuccessful in keeping his dapper suit, his costar, Hugh Bonneville, who plays Lord Grantham, confessed to Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan on Live!—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Investors have generally shied away from owning pieces of hedge funds on the other hand, due to the more volatile nature of the business, but with some funds producing steady returns and locking up assets for longer periods of time, Millennium could be starting a trend.—
Hank Tucker,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The top reason Americans cite for owning a firearm is personal protection (72 percent), by a wide margin.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Russia's Influence Operations in 2016, Russia conducted extensive campaigns during the presidential election, employing fake personas, troll farms, and manipulated content to inflame racial, ideological, and cultural divisions.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Filed on behalf of two asylum seekers detained outside the San Diego federal building’s immigration court this year, the lawsuit claims that the federal government is employing tactics that violate individuals’ due process rights.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Deploy enterprise-grade AI tools with SSO, audit logs and zero data retention (no training on your data), and route usage through an AI gateway that enforces redaction, allowlists and logging.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The problem could be urinary retention, when your bladder is full but can’t empty.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For every person holding the statue, there are four or five who came close and didn’t.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The extra point was good but there was a holding penalty on the Rebels.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Devers, who is starting at first on Saturday, has fared well at first base despite having no experience at the position prior to this season.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Despite having a reputation for being at the cutting-edge of technological trends, cash is king in Japan.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Following his arrest, Robinson initially spoke with some law enforcement but quickly went silent Friday morning after hiring a lawyer, sources familiar with the matter previously told CNN.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Executives and entrepreneurs have been for some time finding that other states offer better opportunities (but government managers in California have been hiring, which does more harm to the private sector more than good).—
Kerry Jackson,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Still, the offense wasn’t flowing, and the unit had just given an extra possession to the Jaguars with an interception that led to a touchdown.—
Mike Kaye
September 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
During more than two hours of testimony, journalist Michael Shellenberger testified that sources had informed him that intelligence communities are in possession of numerous high-resolution photos and videos of the craft unlike any of the grainy imagery that has so far been declassified.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaining. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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