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withdrawn,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
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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withdrawn,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:
It was the family's connections and clout that Ira says persuaded her to withdraw her allegations against Bechi.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
She said she has decided to “retroactively withdraw from the race.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Negotiations to withdraw the measure fell apart on June 24, the day before the deadline to rescind initiatives from the statewide ballot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The intervention helped force Binance to withdraw its application in Greece and stop promoting services to the bloc’s 450 million residents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
“I withdraw the offer and go back home looking like a fool. You stay here with that monster Heleen.”
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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
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
But missing the deadline this year isn’t a crisis for the USMCA, and if the U.S. withdraws from the agreement, it will lose duty-free access to its two largest markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
He steals softly over the grass, careful to make no sound; he pauses—fancying she has stirred: he withdraws: not for worlds would he be seen.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
The people said Xi withdrew at the last minute from the gala held last Saturday in New Delhi on the sidelines of the Brics summit, a gathering of emerging-market nations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
A day later, FDA scientists withdrew the finding.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Even Tarik Skubal, who withdrew from this year’s World Baseball Classic after one three-inning appearance, said he is all in for the Olympics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
LIV Golf has filed for bankruptcy protection as it attempts to restructure after Saudi Arabia withdrew its multibillion-dollar funding - a move that means all its players will have the option to leave.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Céline’s chamber-maid entered, lit a lamp, left it on the table, and withdrew.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
The vast majority of the UHW-backed measures have been withdrawn, usually after the industry agrees to concessions, the suit states.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
He writes that the rule will have an “obvious deterrent effect on student enrollment,” and notes that dozens of international students have already withdrawn from their programs.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
A recommendation that can be withdrawn and a payment that can’t be canceled don’t pose comparable risks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Their sperm donor has withdrawn his consent for further use, and the remaining five embryos in storage will be destroyed after paying £23,000 on fertility treatment.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Maybe she’s withdrawn from him, almost completely; maybe that’s her version of freedom.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
By 2007, they were in the process of withdrawing from eight to four floors, after having spent $1 million on renovations, and renting the other four out.
From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026
Earlier this month, Bailey also revealed he was withdrawing from the show.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
That unity has shown some cracks, with superstar Carlos Alcaraz, one of the original signatories, recently withdrawing from the effort.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
They are withdrawing from the real world into loneliness and helplessness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Kendra and Seth watched her rummage through the closet, finally withdrawing a metal lunch box.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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.
