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

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 withheld
Adjective
The withheld funding supports election monitoring, independent media and other pro-democracy programs abroad. — Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
In a 41-page order, Judge Nicholas Kantas found that police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have been favorable to Muhammad at trial. — Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026 Her complaint adds that the museum withheld wages owed to her during administrative leave. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 9 Nov. 2026 Her identification is being withheld pending family notification. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 9 Nov. 2026 Further, the claim that the executor has withheld or ‘cut’ payments is a complete fabrication. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 8 Nov. 2026 At launch, MTPeak withheld the performance and price tag details, using the excuse that the final cost will depend on individual customization. — New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2026 The shift could open a path to negotiations with United Torah Judaism, whose seven lawmakers withheld their recommendation from Netanyahu despite the party’s long standing political alliance with him. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026 The names of the three people were being withheld until their families are notified. — Cbs Philadelphia, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026 The skydivers’ names were withheld pending notification of next of kin. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 7 Nov. 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
  • The company can also expect litigation from shareholders, and possible regulatory action, if Huang or the board held back material information from investors (Nvidia previously denied the allegations of an affair to media outlets).
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Little Flock residents rejected a proposal from the city to generate additional revenue last week while those living in northeastern Benton County approved a similar idea and denied another.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of denied
Verb
  • The proposal commissioners will consider states that no demolition permit will be issued for portions of the primary structure required to be retained.
    — Brian Bell, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The company has also retained Howard Stern, despite rumors of his retirement.
    — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of retained
Adjective
  • Transfer to bowl with reserved dressing and toss to coat evenly.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The figure most responsible for this was Robert Katzman, a reserved, soft-spoken neurologist who chaired the department at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in the Bronx.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of reserved
Verb
  • Around Tahereh were people who refused to accept that her fate was predetermined.
    — Tanaz Eshaghian, Time, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Last year, most of the Pentagon press corps refused to sign on, and vacated their regular spaces at the complex.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of refused
Verb
  • These laws have kept the deer population under control over the last decade.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The city’s redevelopment agency kept the land on which the park sat until 2019, when it was forced to sell after the state abolished redevelopment agencies, and the city was not in a financial position to outbid Cedar Fair for the land.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 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
  • She’s gotten used to trying, and trying again; while applying for fiction writing classes in college, Adeyemi says, she was rejected five semesters in a row.
    — Wisdom Iheanyichukwu, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The three Republicans on the court backed the proposal, arguing the poll sites were underutilized, while the two Democrats rejected it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 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 Nov. 2026.

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