withstand
Americanverb (used with object)
-
withstands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withstood,
past participle, past
-
withstanding
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
withstands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withstood,
past participle, past
-
withstanding
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to stand up to forcefully; resist
-
(intr) to remain firm in endurance or opposition
Synonym Usage
See oppose.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
withstandsimple
-
withstandssimple
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have withstoodperfect
-
has withstoodperfect
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am withstandingprogressive
-
are withstandingprogressive
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is withstandingprogressive
-
have been withstandingperfect progressive
-
has been withstandingperfect progressive
Past
-
withstoodsimple
-
had withstoodperfect
-
was withstandingprogressive
-
were withstandingprogressive
-
had been withstandingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing withstand
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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:
“He’s been able to withstand some difficult times of not playing at Pitt or getting injured at Cal Poly. At the end of the day, he believes in himself,” Croick said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Advanced Healthcare Technology and Williams have since developed the Babypod: a carbon fibre carrier designed to withstand a 20G crash, which can help prevent injury in the transportation of babies from ambulance to hospital.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Godwin pointed to the blades in a jet turbine, each one a perfect crystal made of an advanced metal alloy that can withstand 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
What overrides everything is that you have enough for a comfortable life today and that you can withstand emergencies down the road, and you look in pretty good shape for that.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
When I first realized this, I was glad, because it means I can more easily withstand the blows life has in store.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
German growth this year is set to come in stronger than previously estimated, leading research institutes said Thursday, as Europe's biggest economy withstands the fallout from the Middle East war.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
We have only one path forward: build a more capable American open-weight alternative that withstands attempted jailbreaks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Vanguard released a follow-up report on Wednesday on “How America withstands financial hardships” that takes a deep dive behind the headlines.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 12, 2026
In the days ahead, we'll see if that withstands closer scrutiny.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2025
But Jason withstood the fearful creatures as a great rock in the sea withstands the waves.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Zara owner Inditex, one of the world's largest fashion retailers, reported Wednesday higher profits for the first half of its fiscal year as its brands withstood fierce competition and boosted sales.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
And they booed when a safe call at first withstood replay review instead of ending the game on a double play.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Trade flows withstood the sharp increase in U.S. tariffs announced in 2025, with the volume of exports and imports rising by 4.2% during the year, a sharp acceleration from 2.6% in 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek withstood an Elina Svitolina comeback attempt to seal a 6-3 1-6 6-3 win in Toronto and reach her first WTA final of the season.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
No monster had ever withstood a direct hit from my sword like that.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
Google’s search business isn’t just withstanding the threat posed by artificial intelligence, according to an analyst.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
Higher yields normally reduce the appeal of crypto, but it’s withstanding the pressure in recent sessions, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
"This project is designed to update those protective features to ensure that they are capable of withstanding modern weaponry like drones."
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
The former Northeastern sensation, Keller’s teammate in the PWHL, once considered too small for serious hockey, withstanding everything Canada had to give.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
Many of the microscopic parasites that produced malaria would survive the sublethal dose and produce offspring capable of withstanding a full dose of the medicine.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
