1
as in denies
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 retains
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 withholds
The lawsuit claims Uber misclassifies drivers as independent contractors to avoid accountability and withholds rider risk data.
—
Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Sep. 2025
With its buzzy energy and sympathetic — if bumbling — criminals, Lumet withholds crucial information from the viewer until the final portion of the film.
—Christina Newland, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
While parents were fulfilling back-to-school shopping and educators were equipping classrooms with supplies out of their own pockets, the state that withholds money from CPS was holding a hearing to find out why the district is in financial trouble.
—Stacy Davis Gates, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
The last time Berkshire requested confidentiality treatment—which withholds information from the public and allows institutional investors to build positions without tipping off the market and triggering copycat trades—was in late 2023.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Cai, who co-wrote the script with Han Nianjin, lays the sauce on thick from the get-go, but also withholds lots of key information about Meiyun and Baoshu’s mysterious connection.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Sep. 2025
With its buzzy energy and sympathetic — if bumbling — criminals, Lumet withholds crucial information from the viewer until the final portion of the film.
—Christina Newland, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
While parents were fulfilling back-to-school shopping and educators were equipping classrooms with supplies out of their own pockets, the state that withholds money from CPS was holding a hearing to find out why the district is in financial trouble.
—Stacy Davis Gates, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
The last time Berkshire requested confidentiality treatment—which withholds information from the public and allows institutional investors to build positions without tipping off the market and triggering copycat trades—was in late 2023.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Cai, who co-wrote the script with Han Nianjin, lays the sauce on thick from the get-go, but also withholds lots of key information about Meiyun and Baoshu’s mysterious connection.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for withholds
Verb
-
Ali reiterates her concerns that Anton was different in the pods and denies that his job or ambition were factors in her decision.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Despite his reputation as a womanizer, the former King denies the affair in his memoir.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Plus, the pad and ports are discreetly tucked into the top shelf, so the lamp retains its classic aesthetic.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Baldoni retains his right to appeal the defamation case judgment to a higher court once a decision is rendered on Lively’s right to recoup fees.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Many Democrats have adopted a more brash and confrontational style of politics, which refuses to keep anything quiet.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Paul Thomas Anderson fits a generation’s worth of cineplex joys into One Battle After Another, but the revolution refuses to get off the couch.—
Jonathan Lethem,
The New York Review of Books,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The mesh upper keeps them extremely breathable.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The Yfxcvsl Stackable Storage Unit keeps these items organized in four spacious compartments.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Cooper made a film that rejects the conventions of its genre, that is unafraid to be slow and patient in the telling of its narrative, and that wasn’t made to appeal to everyone immediately upon release.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The October court order rejects the Department of Education’s motion to dismiss the case and blocks the administration from implementing the discontinuation against nearly 50 grantees across the country while the lawsuit continues.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
There’s a Redwall vibe to the third installment, as fan-favorite rattkin Fern gets carried away on an impromptu adventure involving a chaos-goblin who holds a bounty tempting enough for all the ne’er-do-wells to try and collect on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Ahead of the launch of season three of Alice in Borderland in September, THR spoke to Sato in Tokyo about working on the project for so many years, the global success of the show, and what the future holds.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Moderating declines at Vans suggest that the brand’s overhaul is taking shape.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
3 Nov. 2025
-
If the player declines the qualifying offer, his previous team is entitled to an extra draft pick as compensation.—
Jon Vankin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
While each of these submarines is designed to carry up to 16 nuclear missiles, France only possesses 48 ballistic missiles—enough to arm three submarines, as the remaining vessel is always undergoing routine maintenance, the Nuclear Information Project said.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
-
According to estimates by the Arms Control Association, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and the Federation of American Scientists, Russia possesses the most nuclear weapons in the world.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Withholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/withholds. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share