as in retention
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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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retaining
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
The fabric is the smooth, soft feel that Lululemon is famous for, while still being breathable, sweat-wicking, and shape-retaining.
—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Apr. 2026
But we’re invited to see him as, despite these foibles, amusing and retaining, and his cynicism about everything and his lack of moral scruple is—actually, we’re invited to see this as a kind of higher wisdom.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Lynch retaining seems likely, but Bella’s presence brings nostalgia and star power for the international audience.
—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
29 June 2026
The Nets still project with spending power after retaining Sharpe and Minott.
—
C.j. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2026
Microschools and other emerging schooling models face the challenge of attracting and retaining high school students who often seek team sports and extracurriculars offered by larger traditional schools.
—
Kerry McDonald,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
And as the tournament begins, the conditions are there for another new champion — and Wimbledon already has nine different women’s singles winners in the past nine editions, right back to Serena Williams retaining her title in 2016.
—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
The blue-and-white Arwing features countless individual panels and detailed moving parts while retaining its easily identifiable, unique silhouette.
—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
27 June 2026
On Monday, Eli Collins, VP Product at Google DeepMind, announced the investment in A24, giving the company access to DeepMind’s research, infrastructure, and global reach, which will have an active hand in shaping new workflows, with A24 and its filmmakers retaining full creative control.
—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 June 2026
As with other home improvement supplies, retaining current paint colors is smart in case walls need touch-ups or a fresh coat.
—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 June 2026
With the Heat sending out guards Tyler Herro and Kasparas Jakucionis as part of the trade for Antetokounmpo, retaining Smith as a depth player would make sense for the Heat.
—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2026
Noun
Older people have a harder time producing, retaining, and circulating body heat.
—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
The fabric is the smooth, soft feel that Lululemon is famous for, while still being breathable, sweat-wicking, and shape-retaining.
—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Apr. 2026
But we’re invited to see him as, despite these foibles, amusing and retaining, and his cynicism about everything and his lack of moral scruple is—actually, we’re invited to see this as a kind of higher wisdom.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Lynch retaining seems likely, but Bella’s presence brings nostalgia and star power for the international audience.
—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
These nanoscale pathways allowed lighter fractions, including naphtha, gasoline, and kerosene, to pass through while retaining heavier components.
—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
29 June 2026
The Nets still project with spending power after retaining Sharpe and Minott.
—
C.j. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2026
Microschools and other emerging schooling models face the challenge of attracting and retaining high school students who often seek team sports and extracurriculars offered by larger traditional schools.
—
Kerry McDonald,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
And as the tournament begins, the conditions are there for another new champion — and Wimbledon already has nine different women’s singles winners in the past nine editions, right back to Serena Williams retaining her title in 2016.
—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
The blue-and-white Arwing features countless individual panels and detailed moving parts while retaining its easily identifiable, unique silhouette.
—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
27 June 2026
On Monday, Eli Collins, VP Product at Google DeepMind, announced the investment in A24, giving the company access to DeepMind’s research, infrastructure, and global reach, which will have an active hand in shaping new workflows, with A24 and its filmmakers retaining full creative control.
—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 June 2026
As with other home improvement supplies, retaining current paint colors is smart in case walls need touch-ups or a fresh coat.
—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 June 2026
With the Heat sending out guards Tyler Herro and Kasparas Jakucionis as part of the trade for Antetokounmpo, retaining Smith as a depth player would make sense for the Heat.
—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaining
Noun
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At a minimum, fiduciaries should review access controls, encryption, data retention policies, incident response procedures, subcontractor access, cyber insurance, breach notification obligations and independent security testing.
-
While your morning coffee obviously gives you an energy boost, caffeine can also reduce puffiness and decrease fluid retention, according to experts.
Verb
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Air conditioning will be keeping millions of Americans safe and comfortable over the holiday weekend as a heat dome brings dangerous conditions to millions.
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Fostering discovery through those niche groups will likely prove essential to keeping the spirit of cinema alive.
Verb
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Dumont, whose professional background is in owning and operating casinos, is gambling that his franchise can use a 34-year-old guard who is coming off another major injury whose forte is surreal quickness and dribble-drive penetration as the primary complement to Cooper Flagg.
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The museum began with Grant’s lifelong dream of owning an actual Gremlin puppet.
Verb
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California is among the largest markets for freight trucking, employing more than 130,000 drivers.
-
Though Olson had no defensive chances, the incident highlighted the extreme measures the Braves are employing to navigate their extensive injury woes and depth limitations this season.
Noun
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Decades of Hollywood empire-building ended with a quake in 2017 when Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch decided to sell much of his Fox entertainment holdings amid the rise of Netflix and other tech giants.
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The staggering number of trades across eight separate accounts marks a significant departure from previous presidents, who have either divested their holdings or traded exclusively in diversified mutual funds.
Verb
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On June 29, 2026, Miami-Dade buried a FIFA 2026 stole, an FIU Panthers mascot and memorabilia from historian Dorothy Jenkins Fields honoring her legacy in preserving Black history and culture including photos of the Historic Lyric Theater.
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Sophisticated setting techniques enhance each stone’s brilliance while preserving the fluid movement of the jewels.
Verb
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Swift and Kelce opted against having traditional bridesmaids and groomsmen.
-
The news came a day before Liz reported on Hong Kong’s beleaguered cinema market finally having an upturn, with overall box office revenues increasing by 25% thanks to a strong line-up of local and Hollywood releases.
Verb
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Mizuho Americas analyst Dan Dolev told the Journal that the majority of these cuts probably trace to a post-pandemic hiring correction rather than AI itself.
-
An American brand can open a local Hong Kong dollar account, a Vietnamese dong account, or a Portuguese euro account without ever setting up a foreign legal entity, leasing an office or hiring a single local employee.
Cite this Entry
“Retaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaining. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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