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 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 To protect itself from Chinese blackmail, Europe could leverage its Airbus sales by withholding software updates for China’s Airbus fleet, which would ground more than half the country’s commercial planes. — Mark Leonard, Foreign Affairs, 18 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 The order prohibits anyone from withholding or obstructing necessary treatment or removing, discharging or transferring the child while the case is pending. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026 On Tuesday, Wyandotte County District Court Judge Courtney Mikesic found that LivaNova violated Kansas law by withholding the documents during the discovery process and granted the plaintiffs’ request for sanctions against the medtech company. — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for withholding

Verb

The film follows a daughter trying to accompany her mother through her final stage, navigating the challenge of remaining close without denying the loss or imposing a particular way of experiencing it.

— Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Ridley Scott’s representatives are denying the recent report that the director blamed his Gladiator II star Paul Mescal for the film’s underwhelming box office numbers.

— Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of denying

Verb

Some China watchers, however, are keeping their expectations low, as both sides appear to be more interested in avoiding moves that would risk their current trade truce.

— Justina Lee, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Lovano expressed deep gratitude to Collins for steering the festival for many years and keeping the atmosphere alive.

— Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of keeping

Verb

Biscayne 21’s declaration — the document that establishes the condominium — required a unanimous vote to terminate the building’s condo association, a goal that seemed unlikely with a group of residents refusing to sell.

— Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Court records show Romo was cited for refusing to take a test for intoxication and first offense OWI.

— Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of refusing

Verb

More concerning memory problems may involve difficulty retaining new information in the first place, like repeatedly asking a question without remembering the answer.

— Danielle Zickl, HEALTH, 31 Aug. 2026
Goldman found Koreans in their sixties save more than any other age group, retaining 37% of their income.

— Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of retaining

Verb

Markets are currently pricing in a near 50-50 chance of the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee hiking rates versus holding them at their September meeting, according to the CME’s FedWatch tool.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Harvey adjusted for Nix’s throw, leaping up at the front of the end zone and holding onto the ball through contact.

— Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of holding

Verb

The Republican party has promised a return to the good ol’ days, with strong nuclear families at the crux and a fight against the declining birth rate.

— Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Additionally, the drug supply is always changing, with the potency of fentanyl declining in recent years.

— Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of declining

Verb

The Charlotte branch of the American Institute of Architects reached out to Digital Realty to work with the developer on preserving the facade.

— Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
By then, missing context is far more expensive than preserving it would have been.

— Beth Worthy, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026