withstand

American

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

verb (used with object)

withstood, withstanding

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)

withstood, withstanding

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

Related Words

See oppose.

Other Word Forms

unwithstanding adjective
unwithstood adjective
withstander noun
withstandingness noun

Etymology

Origin of withstand

First recorded before 900; Middle English withstanden, Old English withstandan ( 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.

Handjani said Iran is ready to withstand the blockade.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

But even in these rocky times, private credit is simply better prepared to withstand shocks than traditional banks — particularly compared with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank three years ago.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Officials argue that rather than rushing through relief efforts, the priority is to "build back better" so that new homes and businesses are resilient enough to withstand future disasters.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Like all offshore wind arrays, they also need to deliver the electricity back to land, requiring long floating cables, loose enough to withstand ocean currents.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The case was airtight, strong enough to withstand a blast of dynamite, and could be opened only with a randomly changing fifteen-digit computer-generated code.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

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