withdraw

American  

[with-draw, with-] / wɪðˈdrɔ, wɪθ- /

verb (used with object)

withdrew, withdrawn, withdrawing

1. to draw back, away, or aside; take back; remove.

   She withdrew her hand from his. He withdrew his savings from the bank.

2. to retract or recall.

   to withdraw an untrue charge.

   Synonyms:

   disavow, rescind, revoke

3. to cause (a person) to undergo withdrawal from addiction to a substance.

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verb (used without object)

withdrew, withdrawn, withdrawing

1. to go or move back, away, or aside; retire; retreat.

   to withdraw from the room.

2. to remove oneself from some activity, competition, etc..

   He withdrew before I could nominate him.

3. to cease using or consuming an addictive narcotic (followed byfrom ).

   to withdraw from heroin.

4. Parliamentary Procedure. to remove an amendment, motion, etc., from consideration.

withdraw British  

/ wɪðˈdrɔː /

verb

1. (tr) to take or draw back or away; remove

2. (tr) to remove from deposit or investment in a bank, building society, etc

3. (tr) to retract or recall (a statement, promise, etc)

4. (intr) to retire or retreat

   the troops withdrew

5. to back out (of) or depart (from)

   he withdrew from public life

6. (intr) to detach oneself socially, emotionally, or mentally

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Related Words

See depart.

Other Word Forms

• nonwithdrawable adjective
• unwithdrawable adjective
• unwithdrawing adjective
• withdrawable adjective
• withdrawer noun
• withdrawingness noun

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.

Example Sentences

But the money isn’t tax-free when you withdraw it down the road, either: It’s taxed on withdrawal as ordinary income, like with a traditional IRA.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Interval funds also limit their investors’ ability to withdraw cash, but they may offer quarterly redemption gates that are wider than the BDC’s standard 5% of NAV.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

The Southern Health Trust apologised for the stress and worry caused to the Lonergan family but said the decision to withdraw the care package was due to a lack of social care staff.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Yet Pepsi said over the weekend that it had decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless, according to CNN, which said the beverage company Diaego had also pulled out.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

They could taunt her into a self- doubting downward spiral, causing her to withdraw from the opportunity that Dr. Claytor had so meticulously prepared her for.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

• depart
• disengage
• drop out
• eliminate
• go
• leave
• pull back
• pull out
• quit
• retire
• retreat