WITHHOLDING Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

withholding

verb

present participle of withhold

as in denying

to be unwilling to grant must withhold official approval until all the proper forms have been submitted

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in keeping

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 withholding The United States should not echo its 1970s policies around food power, during which officials boasted of altruism while attempting to exert political strength by alternatively deploying and withholding its grain supply. — Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026 Third-party sellers who hawk their wares on Amazon's marketplace have recently criticized surging advertising costs on the site, including a string of recent policy changes, which led to some top merchants withholding their ad spend in a boycott. — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 Despite Metro Government withholding the precise location of the cameras, the reports indicate that more than half of the vandalism incidents occurred in LMPD's Third Division, which covers southwestern Jefferson County. — Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal, 31 Aug. 2026 Blanche is also confronting growing distrust of the Justice Department among judges, who in multiple cases have accused government lawyers of withholding information or misleading courts. — Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 In December 2019, the House impeached Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate then-former Vice President Joe Biden while withholding military aid. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026 Clinton deployed the threat of withholding billions in aid to nix the Hanke plan, and a weak rupiah hastened Suharto’s departure months later. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026 Shares dipped 7% in after-hours trading due to the company withholding its 2027 outlook. — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 20 Aug. 2026 The cities and counties argue that withholding the anti-terrorism funding has nothing to do with election administration. — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for withholding

Verb

The league also took a hard, public stance in the Brendan Sorsby situation by denying the former Texas Tech quarterback entry to the supplemental draft.

— Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Amazon discriminated against pregnant warehouse employees by denying accommodations like bathroom breaks and the option to sit while working, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday by four women who worked for Amazon while pregnant.

— Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of denying

Verb

Rumors circulated that Matthews was refusing to film with Paul, and since May, the two have been fighting online (alongside the rest of MomTok trying to keep the peace, to no avail).

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Despite backlash from her own party and Republicans, Headen is refusing to drop out of the state race.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of refusing

Verb

Smaller components, broader uses The approach could make frequency-conversion devices much smaller while retaining efficient light conversion.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
Saikia said the track’s soundscape aimed to hold the depth of Azmi’s poetry and Nooran’s voice while retaining the soul of Sufi music.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of retaining

Verb

In rejecting his release in 2021, Newsom said Davis had continued to minimize his role in the crimes and shown a lack of empathy for his victims.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
The bow-wielding heroine of Brave spends the film rejecting the idea that a princess has to be anything other than herself.

— Sarah Scott, Parents, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of rejecting

Verb

Unidentified armed federal officers used unmarked rental vehicles to detain people and took some to holding cells in the federal courthouse without explaining what agency held them or why.

— Daniel Benjamin, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026
Some were already set up in the street, grouped together holding banners and signs for the events.

— Jesse McLaren, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of holding

Verb

Parents, students, and educators raised concerns Wednesday night about Broward County Public Schools' proposal to close several schools as the district grapples with declining enrollment and significant funding shortfalls.

— Abby Dodge, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
Across the city and the country, declining attendance has idled many religious buildings, often leading to conversions.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of declining

Verb

Without that discipline, organizations may end up creating more dashboards while preserving the same confusion.

— Suresh Rajapakse, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Rather than mine the archive wholesale, Icons reduces recognizable Borgo signatures to their foundations, preserving the rigor while shifting their expression.

— Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026