withhold
English · Thesaurus
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withhold
- /wɪθˈhəʊld/ UK
- /wɪðˈhəʊld/ UK
- /wɪθˈhoʊld/ US
- /wɪðˈhoʊld/ US
Rhymes with -əʊld
Where it comes from
From Middle English withholden. Equivalent to with- + hold.
verb withholds · withholding · withheld · withholden · with-hold
-
To keep (a physical object that one has obtained) to oneself rather than giving it back to its owner.
The bank withheld her credit card.
Similar: retain
- To keep (information, assent, etc.) to oneself rather than revealing it. withhold vital information
- To stay back, to refrain. I’ll withhold from asking about it.
noun withholds · with-hold
- An immoral action or condition (an overt) that has not been disclosed to others; the consciousness of such an action or condition. I was afraid to go into review for the help I needed because of the withholds I had against the organization, withholds acquired at the franchise: our late evening discussions, our kidding around at the expense of other Scientologists.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: keep back, deduct, recoup, abstain, forbear, refrain, postpone, defer, disallow, deny, reject, detain, refuse, suspend, concealment, negate
Translations
Every language
verb to keep an object
| Español | retener, negar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 据为己有 jùwéijǐyǒu |
| Português | reter |
| Deutsch | zurückhalten, einbehalten |
| Italiano | trattenere |
| Ελληνικά | κατακρατώ katakrató |
| Русский | уде́рживать udérživatʹ, удержа́ть uderžátʹ |
| العربية | اِحْتَفَظَ iḥtafaẓa |
verb to keep information
| Español | retener, negar, rehusar, reservar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 隐瞒 yǐnmán |
| Português | privar |
| Deutsch | zurückhalten, vorenthalten |
| Русский | ута́ивать utáivatʹ, ума́лчивать umálčivatʹ, скрывать skryvatʹ |
| العربية | كتم |
Talk about this word "withhold." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/withhold. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. withhold. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/withhold "withhold." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/withhold.Cite this
@misc{withhold_2026,
title = {withhold},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/withhold},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
