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
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Recent Examples of retaining
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 8 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
Hiring and retaining the right talent is one of today’s most persistent corporate challenges.
—William Jones, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
Several—but not all—are connecting to enable families or groups to share space while retaining some privacy.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 22 Aug. 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
In New York, Alcaraz turned up the volume and speed, hitting 42 winners in the final - double that of his opponent - while retaining full control and focus.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 8 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
Hiring and retaining the right talent is one of today’s most persistent corporate challenges.
—William Jones, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
Several—but not all—are connecting to enable families or groups to share space while retaining some privacy.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaining
Verb
-
But after keeping Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker out of Sunday’s lineup, Chicago then watched closer Daniel Palencia blow the save in a 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
If the number of children is decreasing, keeping empty facilities isn’t free.—
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Consent of the owning party is a cardinal rule that Fina didn't follow.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The Hawley-Peters Senate bill, branded the HONEST Act, would prohibit lawmakers, their spouses, and dependents from owning or trading individual stocks, with a 180-day deadline to sell off any holdings.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The battery park is a twin plant facility, with Kentucky 1 currently employing people.—
Olivia Evans,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
-
By employing huge tariffs, Uncle Sam is embracing a tax that’s virtually never been used at remotely this scale by any other major economy in recent history.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
After that, growth will depend more on retention than pricing leverage.—
Steve McDowell,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
-
Within the past year, two children have died in West Chester retention ponds.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
The Enquirer,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In the photo, Elordi stood behind Romy, holding a glass of wine as Romy stuck her tongue out at the camera.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The Packers controlled the line of scrimmage, holding the league’s top-scoring offense from 2024 to just 13 points.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Some common symptoms include the need to pee more frequently, feeling extremely thirsty, having dry and itchy skin, and getting dark, velvety patches on the skin.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Despite having iconic roles on The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days, this is Howard's first-ever Emmy nomination for acting.—
Carson Blackwelder,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This season could establish whether the Detroit Lions should have prioritized keeping Engstrand to replace Ben Johnson instead of hiring John Morton and letting Engstrand follow Aaron Glenn to the Jets.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Moving to a wage- or qualification-based system could dramatically alter hiring incentives.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The 33,000 documents provided by the DOJ to Congress is just a fraction of the files the Department of Justice has in its possession.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Court records show that a majority of Stevenson's arrests are related to the unlawful possession of a firearm or narcotics.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaining. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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