Synonyms

withdraw

American

[with-draw, with-] / wɪðˈdrɔ, wɪθ- /

verb (used with object)

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.

Synonyms:

disavow, rescind, revoke
to cause (a person) to undergo withdrawal from addiction to a substance.

verb (used without object)

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.

withdraw British

/ wɪðˈdrɔː /

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See depart.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing withdraw

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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:

withdraw withdraws withdrew withdrawn withdrawing

The idea behind a Roth conversion is to withdraw tax-deferred money, pay the tax due and then move it into a tax-free account.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

They retain the right to question the destination, reconsider promises and withdraw their support.

From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026

Long lines of people trying to withdraw their money from Ueno branches snaked down Asuncion's streets on Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

As Spain prepared to withdraw, both Morocco and Mauritania claimed the territory.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

“In earnest, I withdraw my claim,” he said.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

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

He has grown increasingly frustrated with the Sudanese military, which refuses to engage in a peace process unless the RSF disarms and withdraws from the territory it has occupied.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 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

Peeta withdraws from Caesar, pulling back his hands, running them through his hair, mussing his carefully styled blond curls.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

But where voters withdrew their allegiance from a party or movement altogether, Tuesday looked more like an exit.

From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026

Speaking to Sawyer in the special, which aired May 12, Reveles recalled how Simmons slowly withdrew from the public eye—venturing out only when he was sure he wouldn’t be recognized.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

But the news around Mitchell had been expected ever since he withdrew in the first half of Northampton's 28-14 victory over the Cherry and Whites.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Kay’s appellate attorney David Gerger withdrew in April and most recent appeal was written by a team of federal public defenders led by Jason D. Hawkins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

The British withdrew from the fight to maintain their thirteen colonies in 1783.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Northampton scrum-half Archie McParland, 21, was named in the initial training squad but has withdrawn with a calf injury.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

They also agreed to have a daily payback amount withdrawn from their business accounts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

When CBN was withdrawn, the mice also displayed physical symptoms resembling withdrawal, including head twitching and paw fluttering.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026

And if they are withdrawn for unreimbursed, qualified medical expenses, they are also tax-free.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

He felt deeply responsible for Eric, who could be cheerfully upbeat but could also grow morose and withdrawn and sometimes would sink into deep funks, not talking for days.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

He also said: "I am not only stepping down from my position as minister of transport, but... I am also withdrawing my name from the lists for the early legislative elections."

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Oscar Puente, who had earlier pledged to work "tirelessly" to restore confidence in the world's second-largest high-speed rail network, also said he was withdrawing from the November 29 general election.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

Are you, for example, comfortable withdrawing 4% from your retirement accounts in the first year and adjusting that rate for inflation in subsequent years?

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

Most cases were discontinued, subjected to no further action or dropped because of a lack of evidence or victims withdrawing their complaints.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Koffi crept farther into the stall, withdrawing Ekon’s hanjari from the sheath on her hip.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023