withhold

[with-hohld, with-]

verb (used with object)

withheld, withholding 

1. to hold back; restrain or check.

   Synonyms: repress, suppress
   Antonyms: advance

2. to refrain from giving or granting.

   to withhold payment.

   Synonyms: repress, suppress
   Antonyms: advance

3. to collect (taxes) at the source of income.

4. to deduct (withholding tax) from an employee's salary or wages.

verb (used without object)

withheld, withholding 

1. to hold back; refrain.

2. to deduct withholding tax.

withhold

/ wɪðˈhəʊld /

verb

1. (tr) to keep back; refrain from giving

   he withheld his permission

2. (tr) to hold back; restrain

3. (tr) to deduct (taxes, etc) from a salary or wages

4. to refrain or forbear

Other Word Forms

• withholder noun
• unwithheld adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of withhold¹

First recorded in 1150–1200, withhold is from the Middle English word withholden. See with-, hold ¹

Synonym Study

See keep.

Example Sentences

The commissioner said that ministers had been "wrongly withholding some information under the exemptions".

Read more on BBC

However, the law also gives the attorney general the power to withhold information that they believe would “jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution.”

Read more on Salon

“On Jan. 1, working Americans will reset their withholding levels, and they will have substantial real income increases,” Bessent said.

Read more on MarketWatch

If so, you might be having too much tax money withheld by your employer.

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The bigger problem was that Matthiessen withheld this backstory from George Plimpton, the childhood friend he recruited to be the magazine’s first editor, until years later.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• conceal 
• deduct 
• deny 
• detain 
• hide 
• keep 
• refuse 
• resist 
• retain 
• suppress