Synonyms

withstand

American

[with-stand, with-] / wɪθˈstænd, wɪð- /

verb (used with object)

to stand or hold out against; resist or oppose, especially successfully: to withstand the invaders;

to withstand rust;
to withstand the invaders;
to withstand temptation.

Synonyms:

face, confront

verb (used without object)

to stand in opposition; resist.

withstand British

/ wɪðˈstænd /

verb

(tr) to stand up to forcefully; resist
(intr) to remain firm in endurance or opposition

"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 oppose.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of withstand

First recorded before 900; Middle English withstanden, Old English withstandan ( see with-, stand); cognate with Old Norse vithstanda; akin to German widerstehen

Explanation

In the story of the three little pigs, only the house made of brick was able to withstand the huffing and puffing of the Big Bad Wolf. To withstand is to hold up against something strong. Withstand means to stand your ground against a powerful and negative force. A lot of toys can withstand rough treatment, but CDs definitely can't. And hopefully, you can withstand the pressures of school and work! If you can withstand a lot of criticism, it means you can take it without giving up.

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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.

And England are not a good enough side to withstand it.

From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026

It acts like a built in support system, reinforcing plant tissues and helping them withstand environmental stress.

From Science Daily • Jun. 29, 2026

What’s needed is for the right materials to be found which can withstand the environment and do the lifting and attach to the satellite that pulls the elevator up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026

It treats historical analogies not as rhetorical shortcuts but as evidentiary claims that must withstand scrutiny.

From Slate • Jun. 26, 2026

But if the giant sequoias—trees that had evolved not just to withstand wildfires but to thrive in them—if the giant sequoias were burning, the cycle was broken.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

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