withdraw
Americanverb (used with object)
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withdraws,
present (3rd person singular)
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withdrew,
past
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withdrawn,
past participle
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withdrawing
present participle
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to draw back, away, or aside; take back; remove.
She withdrew her hand from his. He withdrew his savings from the bank.
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to retract or recall.
to withdraw an untrue charge.
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to cause (a person) to undergo withdrawal from addiction to a substance.
verb (used without object)
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withdraws,
present (3rd person singular)
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withdrew,
past
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withdrawn,
past participle
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withdrawing
present participle
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to go or move back, away, or aside; retire; retreat.
to withdraw from the room.
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to remove oneself from some activity, competition, etc..
He withdrew before I could nominate him.
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to cease using or consuming an addictive narcotic (followed byfrom ).
to withdraw from heroin.
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Parliamentary Procedure. to remove an amendment, motion, etc., from consideration.
verb
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(tr) to take or draw back or away; remove
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(tr) to remove from deposit or investment in a bank, building society, etc
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(tr) to retract or recall (a statement, promise, etc)
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(intr) to retire or retreat
the troops withdrew
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to back out (of) or depart (from)
he withdrew from public life
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(intr) to detach oneself socially, emotionally, or mentally
Synonym Usage
See depart.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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withdrawernoun
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withdrawingnessnoun
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nonwithdrawableadjective
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unwithdrawableadjective
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unwithdrawingadjective
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withdrawableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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withdrawsimple
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withdrawssimple
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have withdrawnperfect
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has withdrawnperfect
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am withdrawingprogressive
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are withdrawingprogressive
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is withdrawingprogressive
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have been withdrawingperfect progressive
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has been withdrawingperfect progressive
Past
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withdrewsimple
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had withdrawnperfect
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was withdrawingprogressive
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were withdrawingprogressive
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had been withdrawingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of withdraw
First recorded in 1175–1225, withdraw is from the Middle English word withdrawen. See with-, draw
Explanation
To withdraw is to take something back or remove yourself from a situation. You might withdraw money from the bank or withdraw yourself from an argument if it gets out of hand. The word withdraw comes from Middle English and still means to draw or take back, like if you withdraw your hand when you’re done holding hands with someone. A newer definition of withdraw is to stay away from others or stop participating in something. You might withdraw from society by holing up in your house, or withdraw from school by dropping out. Another way to withdraw is to promise to do something but then change your mind.
Vocabulary lists containing withdraw
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
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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:
She said she has decided to “retroactively withdraw from the race.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Negotiations to withdraw the measure fell apart on June 24, the day before the deadline to rescind initiatives from the statewide ballot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The intervention helped force Binance to withdraw its application in Greece and stop promoting services to the bloc’s 450 million residents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
France's football leaders have proposed to seek ways to transform how Fifa is run after its national association became the latest to withdraw support for Gianni Infantino's presidency.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
But now something in him would not let him withdraw.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Here’s a simplified example: John’s top tax rate is 22% and could be 22% when he withdraws from retirement accounts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
If she takes the full RMD in February and runs the QCD in November, she reports $40,000 of income but withdraws $55,000 overall.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
If he withdraws by Monday, though, local Republican officials in his district could approve a new nominee.
From Slate ● Aug. 8, 2026
Retail investors have led two straight weeks of U.S. equity outflows, according to data from Bank of America, with the biggest withdraws since December recorded last week.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
He throws one open, withdraws a book, and opens the cover.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
This year, she withdrew $2,000 from her savings account, leaving her with roughly $13,000 in the bank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The White House withdrew his nomination on Thursday in a short memo, which did not explain the decision.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The Irish folk band Beoga, who play with Sheeran during his set, also withdrew.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
A day later, FDA scientists withdrew the finding.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Céline’s chamber-maid entered, lit a lamp, left it on the table, and withdrew.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Polymarket’s chief competitor, Kalshi, doesn’t, though that company inspects funds withdrawn to different payment mechanisms and freezes suspicious payments, a person familiar with that company’s protocols said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
The vast majority of the UHW-backed measures have been withdrawn, usually after the industry agrees to concessions, the suit states.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The Archbishop of Canterbury has withdrawn an award given to a Muslim cleric who praised Osama Bin Laden.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
He writes that the rule will have an “obvious deterrent effect on student enrollment,” and notes that dozens of international students have already withdrawn from their programs.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
The food, raw meat on a long, flat piece of wood, would be shoved through a slot down near the ground, the meat—never quite enough to fill their stomachs—scraped off, and the wood withdrawn.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
By 2007, they were in the process of withdrawing from eight to four floors, after having spent $1 million on renovations, and renting the other four out.
From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026
That unity has shown some cracks, with superstar Carlos Alcaraz, one of the original signatories, recently withdrawing from the effort.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
They are withdrawing from the real world into loneliness and helplessness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
I don’t want to worry about withdrawing heavily in the first 10 to 15 years of retirement with travel or buying a new home.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
“Ai, Chihuahua,” Joe whined miserably, withdrawing his hand from under hers and resting his chin unhappily in both hands.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions 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.
