1
as in to refuse
to be unwilling to grant
must withhold official approval until all the proper forms have been submitted
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2
as in to retain
to continue to have in one's possession or power
withhold some money for your own expenses
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as in to keep (from)
to resist the temptation of
please see if you can withhold from criticizing every little thing she says
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of withhold
Jennifer Kavanagh, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2025
During the trials, according to a Board of Bar Overseers report, the prosecutors were engaging in misconduct that included withholding exculpatory evidence and demonstrating racial bias against the defendant in emails.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Before sharing the tape with production, McConaughey asked the casting director to withhold sending Levi’s last name as a test of merit.
—Andrea Mandell, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
The film was finished in 2019, but the Bolsonaro government withheld funding for its distribution, effectively censoring the movie.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for withhold
Verb
The United States should also withhold support for any operations outside NATO’s current boundaries suggested by other members of the alliance, including naval transits of the Taiwan Strait and no-fly zones over Ukraine.
—Jennifer Kavanagh, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2025
During the trials, according to a Board of Bar Overseers report, the prosecutors were engaging in misconduct that included withholding exculpatory evidence and demonstrating racial bias against the defendant in emails.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Before sharing the tape with production, McConaughey asked the casting director to withhold sending Levi’s last name as a test of merit.
—Andrea Mandell, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
The film was finished in 2019, but the Bolsonaro government withheld funding for its distribution, effectively censoring the movie.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for withhold
Cite this Entry
“Withhold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/withhold. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
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