withheld 1 of 2

adjective

as in suppressed

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withheld

2 of 2

verb

past tense of withhold
1
as in denied
to be unwilling to grant must withhold official approval until all the proper forms have been submitted

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in retained
to continue to have in one's possession or power withhold some money for your own expenses

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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 withheld
Adjective
The withheld funding supports election monitoring, independent media and other pro-democracy programs abroad. — Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
Have you been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime, had an adjudication withheld, or had a matter sealed or expunged? — José Javier Rodríguez, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026 The company withheld the researchers’ identities, locations and specific biological details. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026 The surnames of the latter two defendants were withheld in according with Mexican criminal procedure. — ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026 The attendee’s identity has been withheld while organizers waited for his family to be notified. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026 The district is at risk of losing nearly $70 million in federal funding if it is found teachers or administrators withheld information related to a student’s gender identity, NBC affiliate KSHB reports. — Daniella Silva, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026 Democrats withheld their votes first to pressure Republicans to extend expiring subsidies for health insurance premiums, prompting a 43-day shutdown that ended in November. — Sam Gringlas, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 His identity was being withheld pending formal identification and notifications to next of kin. — Jason Green, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2026 The federal government withheld $160 million in transportation funding after California delayed revoking the licenses. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for withheld
  1. suppressed
  2. denied
  3. retained
  4. reserved
  5. refused
  6. kept
  7. concealed
  8. rejected
Adjective
  • General Manager Ken Holland hinted at potentially being done after trading center Phillip Danault for a draft pick in December and acquiring Panarin at a suppressed price in February, though he has been known to under-promise often and, sometimes, over-deliver.
    — Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Supervising sound editor Alastair Sirkett told IndieWire that Peter Claffey’s big, former-rugby-player frame really helps that moment sing with suppressed panic.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
Definition of suppressed
Verb
  • That group, early on, looked for equity in the pages of the Arkansas Gazette's society section, urging the publication to feature Black brides, who had previously been denied photos on the section front.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The fundraising push came nearly two weeks after a judge denied Anthony’s request for a new trial.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of denied
Verb
  • Stolen and enslaved Indigenous people formed new networks of kinship; learned new skills and languages; retained memories of family, kin, and rituals; and, through it all, continually plotted to return home.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The feathers were partially adapted for diving, yet retained primitive, fuzzy down typical of non-avian dinosaurs.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of retained
Adjective
  • Spread the jam evenly over the warm shortbread crust, then sprinkle crumbles of the reserved shortbread mixture over the top, completely covering the jam.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Not only are there no corporate suites in Armstrong, but the upper sections are full of non-reserved seating open to folks who purchased general admission grounds passes, which Tiafoe mentioned.
    — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of reserved
Verb
  • The head coach lauded improvements from the offensive line, said the running game got better in the second half and refused to throw receiver Romeo Doubs under the bus, noting that drops sometimes happen.
    — Chad Graff, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Anthropic also found evidence that a reseller platform routed refused biology prompts toward models with weaker safeguards.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of refused
Verb
  • Spurs kept a clean sheet, an achievement to build on after shipping five in their opening two, and looked solid, if a little unimaginative in midfield.
    — Elias Burke, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • As the Yeomen continued losing games last year, the larger college-football machine kept humming at campuses across the country.
    — Jesse Dougherty, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of kept
Adjective
  • Retractable or concealed handles now appear on cars from American, European, Korean and Chinese manufacturers.
    — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • In another instance, investigators identified a gray button on a test-taker's shirt as a concealed camera.
    — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 25 June 2026
Definition of concealed
Verb
  • A lot of brands rejected [YouTubers] and the new wave of marketing.
    — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 9 Sep. 2026
  • China rejected that and continues to defend its claims to virtually the entire sea passage, a key global trade route that is considered one of Asia’s most active flashpoints.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of rejected

Browse Nearby Words

withers
withheld
withheld (from)
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Cite this Entry

“Withheld.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/withheld. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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