1
as in retreating
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
the army was forced to withdraw from the line of battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in retracting
to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)
withdrew the offer of surrender upon hearing the terms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in removing
to take away from a place or position
withdrew her hand from the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 withdrawing
Trump has also floated the possibility of withdrawing from NATO and threatened to pull troops from Germany, Italy, and Spain.
—
Tiago Ventura, Time, 8 May 2026
Trump’s Gaza plan, which Israel and Hamas agreed to in October, involves Israeli troops withdrawing from Gaza and reconstruction starting as Hamas lays down its weapons.
—Reuters, NBC news, 7 May 2026
The Cabinet discussed—and George III supported—withdrawing from the coastal colonies entirely in favor of the Caribbean.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Enrollment Year Investment Portfolios are most popular with account owners and are based upon the year your student is expected to enter school and begin withdrawing from the account.
—Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Garcia had initially considered running for Hialeah mayor before withdrawing his candidacy and later endorsing García-Roves.
—Veronica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
The president floated withdrawing thousands of troops from Germany toward the end of his first term, a move that was cancelled by former President Joe Biden.
—Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Whether Iran is negotiating in good faith is reportedly at the center of Abu Dhabi withdrawing some support for Islamabad, according to the Financial Times.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Trump is withdrawing his pick to lead the National Park Service as the agency reels from mass firings, exhibit removals and an ongoing leadership vacuum with no permanent director.
—Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Tiago Ventura, Time, 8 May 2026
Trump’s Gaza plan, which Israel and Hamas agreed to in October, involves Israeli troops withdrawing from Gaza and reconstruction starting as Hamas lays down its weapons.
—Reuters, NBC news, 7 May 2026
The Cabinet discussed—and George III supported—withdrawing from the coastal colonies entirely in favor of the Caribbean.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Enrollment Year Investment Portfolios are most popular with account owners and are based upon the year your student is expected to enter school and begin withdrawing from the account.
—Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Garcia had initially considered running for Hialeah mayor before withdrawing his candidacy and later endorsing García-Roves.
—Veronica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
The president floated withdrawing thousands of troops from Germany toward the end of his first term, a move that was cancelled by former President Joe Biden.
—Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Whether Iran is negotiating in good faith is reportedly at the center of Abu Dhabi withdrawing some support for Islamabad, according to the Financial Times.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Trump is withdrawing his pick to lead the National Park Service as the agency reels from mass firings, exhibit removals and an ongoing leadership vacuum with no permanent director.
—Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for withdrawing
Verb
-
That deadlock prompted an unusually long recess of nearly 90 minutes that was followed by a 6-0 vote in favor of retreating on the bus stops.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Many of them have been linked to retreating glaciers, as melting ice destabilizes the mountains and land that had been covered for centuries.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Swelling around your eyes may suggest an underactive thyroid, while retracting eyelids may signal an overactive thyroid.—
Brandi Jones,
Health,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Self-retracting nozzles are the most hygienic.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Allow these to regrow and form new plants after removing all the dead.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
-
On Saturday, that included removing Jake LaRavia from the rotation entirely as rookie forward Adou Thiero became the Lakers’ third player off the bench and veteran big man Maxi Kleber moved into the rotation as the ninth option.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
The plan also describes major changes to the fleet, such as adding many autonomous ships, buying new submarines, and retiring older aircraft carriers and submarines.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
-
While the San Francisco 49ers rookies practiced Friday, Williams was busy on the far north side of the field, doing side-to-side movements and working with resistance bands for 35 minutes before retiring to the team’s weight room.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The program calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, effectively sidelining Hamas and other factions.—
SAM METZ,
Arkansas Online,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The program calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, effectively sidelining Hamas and other factions.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In Uthmeier’s mind, the world is unfairly denying white men careers as head coaches and coffeehouse baristas.—
Scott Maxwell,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2026
-
In effectively denying the zoning measures sought by the county, the planning board on Wednesday reversed course on a previous 2018 approval by the same body, though with some different members, of essentially the same county plan.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
One analysis found that repealing the Jones Act could save consumers $769 million annually in petroleum shipping costs.—
Katelyn Bledsoe,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
-
And while the law largely governs toxins, the rollback has also undermined action on climate change, including repealing the legal theory used to classify greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide as regulated pollutants.—
Mark Olalde,
ProPublica,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Withdrawing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/withdrawing. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
