WITHDRAW Synonyms: 148 Similar and Opposite Words

withdraw

verb

wit͟h-ˈdrȯ

Definition of withdraw

as in to retreat

to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable) the army was forced to withdraw from the line of battle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to renounce

to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to) withdrew the offer of surrender upon hearing the terms

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to remove

to take away from a place or position withdrew her hand from the table

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 withdraw After two decades of war, the US military was withdrawing from Afghanistan, and Kabul was falling. — Azadeh Moaveni, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026 D’Agostini later withdrew his support, sought the appointment himself and announced plans to run for sheriff in 2028. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Advertisement Then Netanyahu rejected the Board of Peace’s 15-point plan to advance a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and insisted that Israel would not withdraw before Hamas fully disarmed. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 19 Oct. 2026 The bereaved withdraw from ordinary activities, while relatives and neighbors gather around and bring food. — Shushan Karapetian, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for withdraw

Recent Examples of Synonyms for withdraw

Verb

Longtime collaborator Erik Blood foregrounds Butler’s dry drum machines in the mix, letting every other element shuffle around them, snaking toward the spotlight for a brief moment and retreating back into the brume.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
If broadcaster partnerships are helping Netflix expand its offering in Europe and Latin America, India shows why the streamer is unlikely to retreat from investing in local originals.

— Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of retreat

Verb

Irma is not going to resolve her dilemma by having sex or cutting loose, nor by renouncing such pastimes and doubling down on intellect.

— B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Although economic espionage is not without risk, unilaterally renouncing the practice in the current global environment is far more dangerous.

— DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of renounce

Verb

The full court reheard the case in January 2024, and in October 2024 ruled 9-8 that the NLRB had no power to order the tweet removed, citing the First Amendment.

— Heather Occhino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, according to a USFWS spokesperson, around 30 million lbs of invasive carp are removed from Midwestern waters each year.

— Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of remove

Verb

Following launch, the mechanism can retract into the container, preserving the system’s compact configuration for transportation and storage.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
The analysis shows how severely the department’s Office for Civil Rights has retracted from its mission, launching an average of about 100 new investigations a month — 1,839 total from Inauguration Day in 2025 through July 2026.

— Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of retract

Verb

Jaros and Rauh calculate that the state will lose money so long as 24 percent of the tax base flees, a condition that’s already been met.

— Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Some senators fled while others braced themselves inside the Senate chamber as Officer Eugene Goodman tried to reason with the mob, and Senate staffers barricaded themselves in offices, hiding.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of flee

Verb

This month, it was denied access to the plane for a trip to Georgia and Florida.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
In response, Amy Helm accused Parillo of financial exploitation and elder abuse of Sandra Helm in a June court filing; Parillo denied those charges.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of deny

Browse Nearby Words

with child

withdraw

withdrawal

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Withdraw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/withdraw. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of withdraw

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes