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withdrawn,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
-
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withdrawn,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:
His plan to withdraw financial support for the lieutenant-governor's office is likely to face significant legal challenges, given the monarchy's central role in Canada's constitution.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
After you reach age 65, you can withdraw HSA money for nonmedical reasons without incurring a 20% penalty, although your withdrawals are usually still taxable as ordinary income.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
Investors in funds holding private assets have gotten stuck, unable to withdraw their money when they wanted to, over and over and over again in recent years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Abu Shehadeh had little choice but to withdraw in order to avoid a formal disqualification that would have "grave consequences for the country's political and parliamentary life", Balad said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
So that twelve-year-old Bobby could participate in the barnstorming jaunt to Cuba, Regina allowed him to withdraw from school temporarily.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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
He said the deal takes "a step-by-step approach" meaning: "If there is verified decommissioning of weapons, that they are taken away from the factions and stored and ultimately rendered unusable, Israel then withdraws from Gaza."
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 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
Therese shakes her head vigorously and withdraws her hands as if I am offering to take away a precious gift.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
The average dollar actually invested in them, which is the amount of money investors actually earn after accounting for what they contributed or withdrew, earned 12.8%.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
In its third-quarter earnings report in August, the company withdrew its full-year outlook due to “macroeconomic softness and the uncertainty around the company’s ability to continue to drive consumer behavior.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Baghdad and Washington agreed in 2024 to wind down the coalition's mission, and its troops withdrew gradually from bases across the country, restricting their presence to the autonomous northern Kurdistan region.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the squad following a long meeting held in the hotel, when the match appeared to be in jeopardy as training and the pre-match news conference were repeatedly delayed.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
He could stand no more, but as she withdrew the water pot, he raised a hand toward her wrist.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband responded that some staff had been "temporarily withdrawn" for security reasons, but stressed the mission will "work with the Palestinian people".
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Interest on Treasurys is taxable when paid or when withdrawn from a retirement account or IRA.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Academy Group has told families recently that support they thought their children would get is being withdrawn or cut back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
The security detail was withdrawn several months later.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
The next April, after he and Wendell had been thrown from their beds, Kirk became even more withdrawn.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
Liverpool duo Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak have both picked up injuries with Gakpo withdrawing from the Netherlands squad with an ankle injury and Isak pulling out of Sweden duty with a minor thigh injury.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
The Balad leader was withdrawing his candidacy, but the decision did not mark the end of his political struggle, his party said in a statement, adding that he would remain the party's leader.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
The following month, Mickelson announced he was withdrawing from the Masters and that he would “be out for an extended period of time as my family continues to navigate a personal health matter.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
Barry Diller on Wednesday said he is withdrawing People Inc.’s bid to buy the stake in MGM Resorts that it didn’t already own.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
She fumbled in a pile of documents balanced on the chair beside her, finally withdrawing a sheaf of parchment with Mrs. Cattermole’s name on it.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
