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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

Withdraw converted principal before age 59½ and before five years, and you may owe a 10% penalty.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

They wrote: "Mr Neill, we beg you. Withdraw your amendment. Please allow our people the opportunity to receive justice."

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2021

Withdraw Nick’s perspective and the lurid plot sticks out of the water like a shipwreck at low tide.

From Washington Post • Dec. 28, 2020

Withdraw the executive order and issue a new one.

From Slate • Feb. 10, 2017

Withdraw and wait for full daylight no doubt, and fly high enough to scan the edge of the forest over a wide area, so he could see when Lee and Grumman broke cover.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

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