as in retention
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1
as in keeping
to continue to have in one's possession or power
I plan to retain the family heirlooms until my own children are mature enough to appreciate them, and then I will lovingly pass them on
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2
as in owning
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
that author retains the right to veto any changes in his books suggested by his publisher's notoriously intrusive editor
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3
as in employing
to provide with a paying job
her neighbor retained her as a nanny for the summer, thus giving her something to do until school started again
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retaining
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
The fabric is the smooth, soft feel that Lululemon is famous for, while still being breathable, sweat-wicking, and shape-retaining.
—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Apr. 2026
But we’re invited to see him as, despite these foibles, amusing and retaining, and his cynicism about everything and his lack of moral scruple is—actually, we’re invited to see this as a kind of higher wisdom.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Lynch retaining seems likely, but Bella’s presence brings nostalgia and star power for the international audience.
—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Blair Crosby,
AJC.com,
5 July 2026
Lay down the cardboard and cover it with a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch to block sunlight from reaching weed seeds while retaining soil moisture and improving soil health as the mulch and cardboard break down.
—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
4 July 2026
These ingredients have skin-softening, hydrating, moisture-retaining, and skin texture-improving properties.
—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
3 July 2026
Children of immigrants replaced immigrants, blending into American society while retaining their own cultural traditions.
—
Albert Sun,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Key work incentives like the Trial Work Period allow beneficiaries to earn income while retaining full SSDI, followed by an Extended Period of Eligibility.
—
Diane Winiarski,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Thousands of jobs planned The expansion project is expected to create roughly 1,000 construction jobs and 300 permanent operating positions in Ohio while retaining 150 existing jobs at the Piketon facility.
—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
2 July 2026
The atmosphere is retaining more heat at night, DaSilva says.
—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
2 July 2026
The Nets still project with spending power after retaining Sharpe and Minott.
—
C.j. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2026
Noun
Older people have a harder time producing, retaining, and circulating body heat.
—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
The fabric is the smooth, soft feel that Lululemon is famous for, while still being breathable, sweat-wicking, and shape-retaining.
—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Apr. 2026
But we’re invited to see him as, despite these foibles, amusing and retaining, and his cynicism about everything and his lack of moral scruple is—actually, we’re invited to see this as a kind of higher wisdom.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Lynch retaining seems likely, but Bella’s presence brings nostalgia and star power for the international audience.
—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
Their menu is seasonal and slightly whimsical while retaining a clear vision, a good representation of the many personalities that make up the Kimball House team.
—
Blair Crosby,
AJC.com,
5 July 2026
Lay down the cardboard and cover it with a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch to block sunlight from reaching weed seeds while retaining soil moisture and improving soil health as the mulch and cardboard break down.
—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
4 July 2026
These ingredients have skin-softening, hydrating, moisture-retaining, and skin texture-improving properties.
—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
3 July 2026
Children of immigrants replaced immigrants, blending into American society while retaining their own cultural traditions.
—
Albert Sun,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Key work incentives like the Trial Work Period allow beneficiaries to earn income while retaining full SSDI, followed by an Extended Period of Eligibility.
—
Diane Winiarski,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Thousands of jobs planned The expansion project is expected to create roughly 1,000 construction jobs and 300 permanent operating positions in Ohio while retaining 150 existing jobs at the Piketon facility.
—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
2 July 2026
The atmosphere is retaining more heat at night, DaSilva says.
—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
2 July 2026
The Nets still project with spending power after retaining Sharpe and Minott.
—
C.j. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaining
Noun
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At a minimum, fiduciaries should review access controls, encryption, data retention policies, incident response procedures, subcontractor access, cyber insurance, breach notification obligations and independent security testing.
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While your morning coffee obviously gives you an energy boost, caffeine can also reduce puffiness and decrease fluid retention, according to experts.
Verb
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Air conditioning will be keeping millions of Americans safe and comfortable over the holiday weekend as a heat dome brings dangerous conditions to millions.
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Fostering discovery through those niche groups will likely prove essential to keeping the spirit of cinema alive.
Verb
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Luis Mauricio Flores Ordonez, 33, was charged with owning an unregistered aircraft that was operated by another person.
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After that, owning any edition puts you on the same live game, and my earlier release-and-early-access guide breaks down every window in one place.
Verb
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The case garnered national interest because Oregon's new law targets the loopholes large staffing firms have been employing to circumvent state corporate medicine laws.
-
The metaphor of a ‘wall of separation’ At the same time, religious reformers were employing concepts of walls, hedges or other barriers to ensure that the secular and religious realms remained apart.
Noun
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Decades of Hollywood empire-building ended with a quake in 2017 when Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch decided to sell much of his Fox entertainment holdings amid the rise of Netflix and other tech giants.
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The staggering number of trades across eight separate accounts marks a significant departure from previous presidents, who have either divested their holdings or traded exclusively in diversified mutual funds.
Verb
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On June 29, 2026, Miami-Dade buried a FIFA 2026 stole, an FIU Panthers mascot and memorabilia from historian Dorothy Jenkins Fields honoring her legacy in preserving Black history and culture including photos of the Historic Lyric Theater.
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Sophisticated setting techniques enhance each stone’s brilliance while preserving the fluid movement of the jewels.
Verb
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Swift and Kelce opted against having traditional bridesmaids and groomsmen.
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The news came a day before Liz reported on Hong Kong’s beleaguered cinema market finally having an upturn, with overall box office revenues increasing by 25% thanks to a strong line-up of local and Hollywood releases.
Verb
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Mizuho Americas analyst Dan Dolev told the Journal that the majority of these cuts probably trace to a post-pandemic hiring correction rather than AI itself.
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An American brand can open a local Hong Kong dollar account, a Vietnamese dong account, or a Portuguese euro account without ever setting up a foreign legal entity, leasing an office or hiring a single local employee.
Cite this Entry
“Retaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaining. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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