withhold
Americanverb (used with object)
-
withholds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withheld,
past participle, past
-
withholding
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
withholds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withheld,
past participle, past
-
withholding
present participle
-
to hold back; refrain.
-
to deduct withholding tax.
verb
-
(tr) to keep back; refrain from giving
he withheld his permission
-
(tr) to hold back; restrain
-
(tr) to deduct (taxes, etc) from a salary or wages
-
to refrain or forbear
Synonym Usage
See keep.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
withholdsimple
-
withholdssimple
-
have withheldperfect
-
has withheldperfect
-
am withholdingprogressive
-
are withholdingprogressive
-
is withholdingprogressive
-
have been withholdingperfect progressive
-
has been withholdingperfect progressive
Past
-
withheldsimple
-
had withheldperfect
-
was withholdingprogressive
-
were withholdingprogressive
-
had been withholdingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of withhold
First recorded in 1150–1200, withhold is from the Middle English word withholden. See with-, hold 1
Explanation
If you keep something back and don't share it, you withhold it. You can withhold things such as permission, emotion, or information. You might get into trouble if you withhold information from your parents or the police. The verb withhold means to deduct from a payment and hold back. Your job will withhold money from your paycheck for things like taxes. You may also choose to withhold money from your check for healthcare, retirement, and numerous other voluntary accounts. The past tense of the verb withhold is withheld. Withhold is spelled with a double h because it is made by combining the words with and hold.
Vocabulary lists containing withhold
The Pearl
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act III
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The CDC still hasn’t named the state where the latest death occurred, although health experts say there is no reason to withhold this info.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026
At an earlier hearing the same month, Home Office lawyers applied to withhold some information from MI5 being made public at a future inquest due to national security concerns.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Of course, he didn’t have to, since as Tennessee’s Chief Executive, he has the prerogative to grant or withhold clemency as he sees fit.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
Shaw: While there should be a legal obligation, district officials must cite documented instances, by courts or law enforcement, of abuse or mistreatment to withhold this information in extremely rare circumstances.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
“You didn’t tell me you had a guest for dinner last night. Why did you withhold information, Toodles?”
From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson
Every ton China withholds is a ton removed from the market, driving up prices.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
The challenge is that each employer withholds taxes independently, which can leave you underwithheld by Tax Day.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
“Today, the court holds that one exception — the postal exception — prevents individuals from recovering for injuries based on a postal employee’s intentional misconduct, including when an employee maliciously withholds their mail,” Sotomayor wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026
To satisfy the taxes, the company withholds a certain number of shares from the employee.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026
He is ever trying to give the kings with the one hand what he withholds with the other.
From The Anglo-French Entente in the Seventeenth Century by Charles Bastide
Her friend Cindy, 59, who also withheld her surname, agreed: "This new gentrification spoils everything."
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026
Social Security recalculates benefits at full retirement age to account for months in which your benefits were withheld.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026
Batches of papers were published in March and June - but others were withheld because they were part of a Metropolitan Police investigation.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
What is withheld becomes as important as what remains.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
As governor, he withheld law enforcement protection for the Freedom Riders—the black and white college students and activists who traveled south in the early 1960s to desegregate public facilities in recognition of new federal laws.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
"The king is withholding his decision and will launch discussions tomorrow with the different party leaders of the governing coalition," said a royal statement, adding that De Wever would be received again on Friday.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Jackson’s attorneys fired back at the claims, insisting that their client had been withholding rent because of a leak in the property that had not been fixed.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
The real Evans later acknowledges withholding some details from Holmes, explaining that she had enough on her mind.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
The film's financier received a one-year sentence for withholding information about those links.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Merely by systematically withholding oxygen, experimenters have caused normal cells to turn into cancer cells, as we shall see in the following chapter.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
