1
as in to refuse
to be unwilling to grant
must withhold official approval until all the proper forms have been submitted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to retain
to continue to have in one's possession or power
withhold some money for your own expenses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to keep (from)
to resist the temptation of
please see if you can withhold from criticizing every little thing she says
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 withhold
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Investigators misled the participants about the nature of the study and actively withheld treatment – including penicillin, which became the standard therapy in the late 1940s – in order to study the effects of untreated syphilis on the men’s bodies.
—Stacie Kershner, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2025
It's withheld billions in research funding and clamped down on international student visas.
—September 21, NPR, 21 Sep. 2025
The names of the victims killed in the incident are being withheld by police pending notification of their relatives, authorities said.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for withhold
Verb
Yet those agreements are just as shrouded from public view, shielded by the same exemptions—FERPA, trade secrets—that were once used to justify withholding third-party NIL deals.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Investigators misled the participants about the nature of the study and actively withheld treatment – including penicillin, which became the standard therapy in the late 1940s – in order to study the effects of untreated syphilis on the men’s bodies.
—Stacie Kershner, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2025
It's withheld billions in research funding and clamped down on international student visas.
—September 21, NPR, 21 Sep. 2025
The names of the victims killed in the incident are being withheld by police pending notification of their relatives, authorities said.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 21 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 30 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share