WITHHOLDS Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

withholds

verb

present tense third-person singular of withhold

as in denies

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 retains

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 withholds The governing lottery body automatically withholds 24% of the prize, leaving the balance to be paid by the winner. — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 Iqbal, a migrant Muslim man, drifts through a city that withholds its welcome. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 June 2026 Trump has made clear his disdain for NATO, his affection for Putin, gushes over autocrats, and withholds military support for Ukraine. — Arthur House, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2026 For a pivotal scene in which Marji publicly contradicts her teacher’s claim about political prisoners, Satrapi withholds background detail entirely, save for a whisper of trees outside a window. — Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026 Refusal renames the finding, files it under welfare, trains the behavior down, passes laws foreclosing the question before anyone asks it in court, withholds broadband funding from states that try to answer it, and publishes declarations insisting the answer is already settled. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026 The state withholds a portion of Harvey’s revenue because of the city’s past failure to adequately fund its police and fire pension funds. — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026 In some cases, benefit offsets (where the VA withholds part of your monthly benefit to repay a debt) can be adjusted to reduce the financial strain. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026 The episode withholds the information that the incoming stew is Ellie, notoriously explosive, competitive, and a poor receiver of feedback, until the very end. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for withholds

Verb

Israel, which isn’t a party in the proceedings, strongly denies that its actions amount to acts of genocide.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
The Carlson-Vance partnership has generated more conservative blowback over the past few years as Carlson has progressed from skepticism of Israel into anti-Semitism, which Carlson denies.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of denies

Verb

That has forced tankers onto longer routes and pushed up insurance costs, tightening the effective supply of vessels even as global trade keeps moving.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
The 340-pound ball is just soft enough to bounce lightly over bumpy obstacles, but its slight overpressure keeps it relatively firm.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of keeps

Verb

The Israeli government has repeatedly said the Spanish government is antisemitic, an accusation that Spain strongly rejects.

— Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026
Haaretz says Netanyahu responded calmly, insisting Israel was prepared and the greater threat lay in the West Bank, while his office now brands the report an ‘absolute lie’ and rejects calls for an inquiry.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of rejects

Verb

Ho-seok declines to participate, but Mi-ok becomes Ye-ji’s interview subject, and then, after a fashion, her friend.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
But a 2023 study found that construction professionals perceived the fast-track strategy as posing a different set of risks, including construction errors and productivity declines, when better productivity is supposed to be the whole point.

— Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026