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
Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2025
Mulch has many benefits in the garden, like retaining soil moisture, insulating roots, and deterring weeds.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
As a remake of the original 2013 PS3 game, The Last of Us was rebuilt with better graphics while retaining an authentic experience.
—PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2025
Finding and retaining skilled employees continues to be a top concern for the state's manufacturing sector.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 2 Oct. 2025
As with other home improvement supplies, retaining current paint colors is smart in case walls need touchups or a fresh coat.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025
In testing, the battery cells demonstrated stability and performance by retaining 93 percent of their capacity after completing 900 charge-discharge cycles.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2025
Afro-Atlantic inspirations get a Gallic accent, with a menu retaining the tenets of Paris bistro and café fare, revisited with touches of the American South’s culinary hallmarks such as okra, pecans and corn.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025
Vancouver’s odds of retaining Hughes, it’s believed internally, will be maximized by ensuring that this upcoming season is a successful one.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 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
Of course, this requires an incredible sense of equilibrium in the vineyard, including pinpointing when the grapes have reached full ripeness while still retaining a very high level of acidity, leaving a very small window for picking.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2025
Mulch has many benefits in the garden, like retaining soil moisture, insulating roots, and deterring weeds.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
As a remake of the original 2013 PS3 game, The Last of Us was rebuilt with better graphics while retaining an authentic experience.
—PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2025
Finding and retaining skilled employees continues to be a top concern for the state's manufacturing sector.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 2 Oct. 2025
As with other home improvement supplies, retaining current paint colors is smart in case walls need touchups or a fresh coat.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025
In testing, the battery cells demonstrated stability and performance by retaining 93 percent of their capacity after completing 900 charge-discharge cycles.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2025
Afro-Atlantic inspirations get a Gallic accent, with a menu retaining the tenets of Paris bistro and café fare, revisited with touches of the American South’s culinary hallmarks such as okra, pecans and corn.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025
Vancouver’s odds of retaining Hughes, it’s believed internally, will be maximized by ensuring that this upcoming season is a successful one.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaining
Verb
-
In their 11 matches in all competitions, Arne Slot’s side have scored eight goals in the 83rd minute or later, with those late strikes keeping results on track but masking defensive deficiencies and a lack of coherence, at times, in attack.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
For the first half of her tenure, Engelbert seemed to enjoy a positive relationship with the players, securing major corporate partners, working with the union on a collective-bargaining agreement that looked historic at the time, keeping the league afloat during the COVID pandemic.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In addition to owning companies outright, Berkshire holds stocks worth more than $250 billion, including large stakes in Apple, Coca-Cola, Bank of America and American Express.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Just look at how the secondary has improved, now owning the ninth-best passing defense.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Consumers are also increasing their use of buy-now, pay-later programs, and shopping retailers employing AI more to personalize shopping offers and generate gift ideas.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
2 Oct. 2025
-
There are several methods to get rid of mice, besides adopting a cat or employing Little Bunny Foo Foo to bop them on the head, of course.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This Staub baking dish set earned Southern Living’s seal of approval for its multiple size options, premium construction, and impressive heat retention.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Milwaukee Public Schools saw significant improvement in teacher retention, partly due to recent wage increases.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Almost as a cry for help, just holding onto her last bit of identity and not having a lot of time to do things on her own time.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
-
In case that wasn't enough of a wink from the show's creators, there's a scene in the finale where the head nurse at the institution holding Gein advises him to write a book, noting that so many other people have taken liberties with his story.—
JR Radcliffe,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Martin Odegaard hobbling off the Emirates pitch for the third time in as many starts would have frustrated Mikel Arteta, but having Martin Zubimendi waiting in the wings is a luxury any manager would dream of.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Why does one hard working fan have to buy seven different versions of an album instead of just having all of the songs be on one complete album?—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In hiring Steve Cooper and then Nuno Espirito Santo, while investing money and overhauling the squad as Forest qualified for Europe for the first time in three decades, Marinakis was making good decisions.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Judging by the immediate reactions following the show, hiring one of the few great couturiers of this generation is a good start.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Protect your property and possessions from fire, theft, and other unexpected perils.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
His record includes larceny, theft, and marijuana possession, the agency said.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaining. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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