withdraw
Americanverb (used with object)
-
withdraws,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withdrew,
past
-
withdrawn,
past participle
-
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.
-
to retract or recall.
to withdraw an untrue charge.
-
to cause (a person) to undergo withdrawal from addiction to a substance.
verb (used without object)
-
withdraws,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withdrew,
past
-
withdrawn,
past participle
-
withdrawing
present participle
-
to go or move back, away, or aside; retire; retreat.
to withdraw from the room.
-
to remove oneself from some activity, competition, etc..
He withdrew before I could nominate him.
-
to cease using or consuming an addictive narcotic (followed byfrom ).
to withdraw from heroin.
-
Parliamentary Procedure. to remove an amendment, motion, etc., from consideration.
verb
-
(tr) to take or draw back or away; remove
-
(tr) to remove from deposit or investment in a bank, building society, etc
-
(tr) to retract or recall (a statement, promise, etc)
-
(intr) to retire or retreat
the troops withdrew
-
to back out (of) or depart (from)
he withdrew from public life
-
(intr) to detach oneself socially, emotionally, or mentally
Synonym Usage
See depart.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
withdrawernoun
-
withdrawingnessnoun
-
nonwithdrawableadjective
-
unwithdrawableadjective
-
unwithdrawingadjective
-
withdrawableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
withdrawsimple
-
withdrawssimple
-
have withdrawnperfect
-
has withdrawnperfect
-
am withdrawingprogressive
-
are withdrawingprogressive
-
is withdrawingprogressive
-
have been withdrawingperfect progressive
-
has been withdrawingperfect progressive
Past
-
withdrewsimple
-
had withdrawnperfect
-
was withdrawingprogressive
-
were withdrawingprogressive
-
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
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!
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
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:
Now we only have $400K in savings — but we still need to withdraw 4-5% to live on.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
Intense public scrutiny about Grande's personal life, her health and her weight have prompted the star to withdraw from the public eye when the tour ends in London next month.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
“We gave this process every opportunity to succeed, and Genco’s response has left us no choice but to withdraw our proposal at this time,” Diana Chief Executive Semiramis Paliou said Friday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
China's top economic planning body decreed in a statement in April that it would "prohibit the foreign investment" in the Manus deal and "requires the parties involved to withdraw the acquisition transaction".
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Unhappy at leaving the Abbot unguarded, the mice hesitated to obey the order to withdraw.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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
They urged Democratic leaders to stick with a candidate who shares Platner’s working-class image if he withdraws — something Platner may hope to influence, the New York Times reported.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Under Maine law, the state’s Democratic Party can replace him if he withdraws before 5 p.m. on Monday, July 13.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
From a pocket, the captain withdraws a loupe, a look of naked greed blooming on his face.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
In April, India withdrew its offer to host COP33 without specifying a reason.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
She later withdrew from the pageant when these issues came to light.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
After his first meeting with Chesney, Martin withdrew his name from the portal and got to work in Westwood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
After the proposal was aborted, Uefa and Concacaf withdrew their support for Infantino when he stands for a fourth presidential term at the Fifa Congress in March next year.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
He pinched one of the scraps, then carefully withdrew his hand.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
European football's governing body has since said it has lost confidence in Infantino, while the football associations of all the home nations have withdrawn support for the 56-year-old Swiss.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Two weeks after the butyrate had been withdrawn, CD4+ T-cells were still producing elevated levels of IL-10, an important anti-inflammatory cytokine that helps control intestinal inflammation.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
Scotland's Robert MacIntyre closed on two under, having withdrawn from the St Jude Championship before the second round following an opening 12-over 82.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Her watchfulness soon shifted to J.’s behavior, as he became paranoid, irritable and withdrawn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Antonellis had just withdrawn from the Florida Highway Patrol academy—which, they said, was much harder than this—when family trouble called them home.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Beattie, who quit the UUP in May after an internal party dispute, said Nesbitt was left with "no other choice" but to resign after Burrows voiced his opposition to withdrawing services from Causeway Hospital.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
The couple were due to appear in an Arkansas courtroom Monday but were able to skip the hearing after withdrawing their not guilty plea.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
UEFA's threat to boycott World Cups if the private investment plan went ahead proved pivotal in Infantino withdrawing his sell-off plan.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
“Right now, we’re withdrawing about $100,000 a year from our investments.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
She tried not to resent withdrawing money to send to her mother, but she could see the balance grow each payday.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
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.
