RETAINING Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

retaining 1 of 2

noun

as in retention

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retaining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of retain

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of retaining

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

Singh is serious about his craft, thinking long and hard about how to create a sound that feels recognizably country while retaining a Punjabi folk soul. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026 Originally launched in 1990, this hiking shoe has been reinterpreted for the fall/winter 2026 season with a modernized construction while retaining its distinctive silhouette. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026 Major label attention indeed followed, eventually leading Cave In to sign with RCA in 2001, with Hydra Head retaining certain vinyl and other release rights. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 18 Sep. 2026 Instead, the strongest signs of retaining a loyal customer happen between purchases. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026 Gamble, who has spent 10 years in local law enforcement, said the demands of public safety careers make retirement benefits an important part of recruiting and retaining officers. — Darrielle Fair, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 The election saw existing board members Melinda Hsu, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Chris Hazzard, Cathryn Humphris and Danny Tolli retaining their seats on the board for another two-year term. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026 There will be three races held in the United States once again, each retaining their usual date slots. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 Smaller components, broader uses The approach could make frequency-conversion devices much smaller while retaining efficient light conversion. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaining

Noun

Qsight said that was the highest patient-retention rate among the leading professional-grade skincare brands in its analysis.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026
Made from enameled cast iron, this cookware offers stable heat distribution, even heat retention, and is oven-safe from top to bottom (including the lid).

— Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of retention

Verb

The carrier’s return also highlights the continuing importance of maintenance and modernization in keeping large naval vessels operational decades after their commissioning.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
That report recommended keeping the SAT and ACT in place until UC could develop its own admissions test, an idea UC later concluded was too difficult and costly.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of keeping

Verb

And in The Uprising, basically every land-owning English person is an enemy of the peasants, who are overtaxed by King Richard II (Woody Norman) after the plague kills half of the country’s population.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
The key to all this is to compete on the total cost of owning your house compared with a new one.

— Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of owning

Verb

Venable hasn’t diverged from his early-season strategy of using his relievers early and often and employing openers on a semiregular basis.

— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
The world’s largest food and beverage company still operates six sites in Russia, employing more than 7,000 people.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of employing

Noun

Foreign owners are restricted from holding broadcast licenses, so the FCC had a role in the regulatory review of the transaction because of Paramount’s holding of CBS stations.

— Ted Johnson, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026
Most of the money is from dormant accounts in financial institutions, insurance and utility companies, and securities and trust holdings, according to the Florida Department of Financial Services.

— Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of holding

Verb

Without that discipline, organizations may end up creating more dashboards while preserving the same confusion.

— Suresh Rajapakse, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Rather than mine the archive wholesale, Icons reduces recognizable Borgo signatures to their foundations, preserving the rigor while shifting their expression.

— Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of preserving

Verb

Fans know these characters so well already that remaining text accurate while also having artistic license could be difficult.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Constraints on the regional supply of natural gas leads to higher supply costs, which contribute to New England having higher electricity costs on average than the rest of the country.

— John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of having

Verb

Patel was pressed on the FBI’s hiring standards The FBI quietly issued guidance this past spring lifting a categorical hiring ban on applicants who had previously engaged in prostitution.

— Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Some job seekers are pushing back against AI interviews in hiring — refusing them, withdrawing as candidates, or even blacklisting employers from future consideration.

— Sarah Jackson Juhohn Lee, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of hiring

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“Retaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaining. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of retaining

noun

verb

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