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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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 withholding Don’t Withhold The Truth To Protect Morale My advice is to never confuse protecting morale with withholding the truth. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026 Moreno accused Miller of withholding his young daughter's favorite blue bunny toy during a custody exchange. — CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026 But denying cancer therapy by withholding or underdosing chemotherapy doesn’t serve her well, either. — Elyce Cardonick, STAT, 2 Nov. 2026 At the hearing, a lawyer for trustee Jodi Montgomery, who has been withholding the funds, also asked the judge to authorize payments into Reiner’s jail commissary account. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2026 Concerns over corruption and democratic backsliding prompted the bloc to begin withholding billions in funding to Hungary in 2021. — Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 Busfield’s attorneys had accused prosecutors in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, of pursuing the case despite a lack of evidence and withholding witness testimony from grand jurors, according to the AP. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Megan James, 33, who at the time was Siira’s fellow caregiver, was also arrested and charged with her murder and related felonies, the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office first reported in June 2024 while withholding Siira’s name as the victim. — Idaho Statesman, 9 Oct. 2026 The consignment came at a dire time for the gallery, which has faced multiple lawsuits in recent years, including one filed by artist Jeffrey Gibson, alleging the gallery was withholding hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales proceeds. — News Desk, Artforum, 2 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for withholding

Verb

His second confrontation is with an angry, judgmental version of Original Vision who accuses him of cowardice and inaction for denying his identity for so long.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
At least twice a year, my doctor would be on the phone yelling at an insurance company for denying coverage.

— Mariska Breland, STAT, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of denying

Verb

Your skeleton has a demanding day job, pumping out fresh new blood cells and serving as a mineral bank for calcium, not to mention keeping your head up and preventing your organs from collapsing into a disappointing puddle.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
Like Bob Pollard, another classic-rock surrealist, the 43-year-old Hollywell is making the most of a surprise middle-aged career breakthrough by keeping the tape rolling in his home studio at all hours.

— Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of keeping

Verb

That same day, another federal district judge in a separate case in California barred DOJ from threatening election workers with criminal prosecution for refusing to stop processing ballots or resisting other demands.

— Dan Mangan,Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
Tanner McKee looked like a backup all night, holding the ball, taking sacks, refusing to throw downfield and turning the ball over twice.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of refusing

Verb

These connections may experience interference or dropouts independently of the control link, meaning a pilot can sometimes lose the camera feed while retaining control of the aircraft.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
Airlines and aircraft operators will be responsible for collecting and retaining each person’s attestation, which must be obtained prior to boarding.

— Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of retaining

Verb

Or maybe voters weren't rejecting the idea of a wealth tax per se.

— Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 10 Nov. 2026
In a small win for the defense, Sullivan issued a separate ruling rejecting the prosecution’s request for a gag order that would bar Clancy’s lawyers from speaking with the media about the case.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of rejecting

Verb

With shot numbers declining, a study found more babies are at risk of bleeding.

— Dr. Jade Cobern, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
Public fallout Despite all his success, though, his relationship with the national team has slowly soured over the last few years – much in part due to his declining performances on the field.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of declining

Verb

Over time, even the material making up the bones and teeth ought to have dissolved away and been replaced by minerals from the surrounding rock, preserving little more than the bone’s architecture.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2026
Refrigeration systems play a critical role in preserving perishable inventory throughout supermarket supply chains.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026