withstand
Americanverb (used with object)
-
withstands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withstood,
past participle, past
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withstanding
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
withstands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
withstood,
past participle, past
-
withstanding
present participle
verb
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(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
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withstandsimple
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withstandssimple
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have withstoodperfect
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has withstoodperfect
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am withstandingprogressive
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are withstandingprogressive
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is withstandingprogressive
-
have been withstandingperfect progressive
-
has been withstandingperfect progressive
Past
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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
Unit 1: Telling Details
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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:
Scattering straw between vines, known as mulching, is not new, but what has changed is its purpose: from improving general soil health to helping vineyards withstand a warming climate.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
“You have to be able to kind of withstand all of the things that happen.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
These features are actually compact clumps of dust that have managed to withstand radiation from the stellar core.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
Still, it’s always worth asking whether your portfolio could withstand a prolonged bear market without affecting your peace of mind.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026
But Josiah said they would grow up heavy and covered with meat like Herefords, but tough too, like the Mexican cows, able to withstand hard winters and many dry years.
From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko
It could eventually improve understanding of how DNA withstands light exposure, how energy travels through materials designed to harvest light, and how other fundamental light-driven processes occur.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 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
Carpenter offers many advantages to investors seeking companies whose competitive barriers to entry are as resistant as its nickel-based alloy Pyromet 41 External link —which withstands temperatures as high as 1500 degrees Fahrenheit.
From Barron's ● May 21, 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
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
But the recall passed in a landslide, and withstood a legal challenge by the city that went to a state appeals court.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
As for the status of the anti-unitarian precedent of Humphrey’s, the court claimed its logic has “not withstood the test of time” and had been effectively undermined for decades.
From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026
Slaughter, the majority opinion said the “Humphrey’s framework has not withstood the test of time” and the court therefore overrules it.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
The imposing grain silos at Beirut’s port mostly withstood last year’s massive explosion — but now serve as reminders of negligence and destruction.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
I imagined peculiars who’d withstood the initial attack on this house gathering here for a last stand.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
Reducing his number of errors, and winning all 14 points behind his first serve, Sinner levelled the match - but only after withstanding a break point as Kecmanovic continued to probe.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
In the last year, the U.S. economy has seemed to defy gravity, withstanding a chaotic trade war, shocks to the labor supply, and wild swings in the stock market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
Investors have been fleeing the AI trade—not withstanding a dramatic upsurge today—with one exception: data center real estate investment trusts.
From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026
The Indiana Pacers toppled the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder 117-114 on Friday, withstanding a 47-point performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win an NBA Finals rematch.
From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026
The design was so elegant, so adept at exploiting the strength of thin strands of steel, that the wheel appeared incapable of withstanding the stresses placed upon it.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
