withhold
Americanverb (used with object)
-
withholds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withheld,
past participle, past
-
withholding
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
withholds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withheld,
past participle, past
-
withholding
present participle
-
to hold back; refrain.
-
to deduct withholding tax.
verb
-
(tr) to keep back; refrain from giving
he withheld his permission
-
(tr) to hold back; restrain
-
(tr) to deduct (taxes, etc) from a salary or wages
-
to refrain or forbear
Synonym Usage
See keep.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
withholdsimple
-
withholdssimple
-
have withheldperfect
-
has withheldperfect
-
am withholdingprogressive
-
are withholdingprogressive
-
is withholdingprogressive
-
have been withholdingperfect progressive
-
has been withholdingperfect progressive
Past
-
withheldsimple
-
had withheldperfect
-
was withholdingprogressive
-
were withholdingprogressive
-
had been withholdingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of withhold
First recorded in 1150–1200, withhold is from the Middle English word withholden. See with-, hold 1
Explanation
If you keep something back and don't share it, you withhold it. You can withhold things such as permission, emotion, or information. You might get into trouble if you withhold information from your parents or the police. The verb withhold means to deduct from a payment and hold back. Your job will withhold money from your paycheck for things like taxes. You may also choose to withhold money from your check for healthcare, retirement, and numerous other voluntary accounts. The past tense of the verb withhold is withheld. Withhold is spelled with a double h because it is made by combining the words with and hold.
Vocabulary lists containing withhold
The Pearl
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!
100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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!
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act III
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:
Of course, he didn’t have to, since as Tennessee’s Chief Executive, he has the prerogative to grant or withhold clemency as he sees fit.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
Google on Wednesday said it would withhold its most powerful artificial intelligence model from the public for now, releasing Gemini 4 Argon only to a vetted group of cybersecurity experts to avoid misuse by hackers.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
“The government continues to withhold over three million files,” Massie said.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
Pace Gallery founder Arne Glimcher threatened to withhold future art donations from the museum unless the exhibition was canceled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
She gave what she couldn’t with safety withhold, and secured those things which lay in her reach.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Amazon repeated a statement it made in response to the initial report, saying any suggestion that it intentionally withholds country-of-origin information is incorrect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The challenge is that each employer withholds taxes independently, which can leave you underwithheld by Tax Day.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from U.S. chip makers including Nvidia, sources say.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 26, 2026
“Today, the court holds that one exception — the postal exception — prevents individuals from recovering for injuries based on a postal employee’s intentional misconduct, including when an employee maliciously withholds their mail,” Sotomayor wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026
The sceptic in Europe who still withholds his credence from Bruce’s account of an Abyssinian brind feast, would have been edified by the sight now presented on the royal meadow.
From The Highlands of Ethiopia by William Cornwallis Harris
We have tort law, consumer safety statutes, etc.—and they’re working, as was obvious in April when Anthropic withheld Mythos from distribution except to trusted partners in the battle against cyber hacking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
RSF has said that a third country has offered him asylum, without specifying which, but that departures planned for February and June were cancelled after Thai immigration authorities withheld exit clearance without explanation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
The body was found in Olifantsfontein on 14 September, but police have withheld her name as her family has not yet been informed.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
In June, the oversight body filed the lawsuit against the Sheriff’s Department asking for a judge to order the release of the withheld records.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
This was a time when “benevolent deception” was a common practice — doctors often withheld even the most fundamental information from their patients, sometimes not giving them any diagnosis at all.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
During the six months ended July 26, Nvidia paid $4.5 billion of cash withholding taxes when employee shares vested.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
She has 30 days from the notice date before the agency will start withholding 50% of her monthly benefit to recover the debt.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
From a modest family, he dreamt of becoming a computer engineer to "change his life", he told AFP, withholding his surname because "the fear is still there".
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
Cowin’s own restraint and withholding yield images of distilled power.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Privately, the FBI agents wondered if Dasch was withholding information.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
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.
