MEANING
1. To move back or away from a place, person, or activity, often by choice, caution, or loss of confidence.
2. To remove or retract something previously offered, deposited, submitted, or stated.
Use it for
A person pulls back from contact, a place, or an activity.Show a character retreating from contact, a place, or confrontation.
Words that belong together
- withdraw from a room
- withdraw from a contest
- withdraw into silence
- withdraw an application
- withdraw funds
- withdraw a statement
On the page
At the sound of footsteps, the figure withdrew into the stairwell.
The editor withdrew the story after the source challenged its dates.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- withdraw
- Past tense
- withdrew
- Past participle
- withdrawn
- Present participle
- withdrawing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- withdraw
- Present continuous
- am/is/are withdrawing
- Present perfect
- have/has withdrawn
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been withdrawing
- Past
- withdrew
- Past continuous
- was/were withdrawing
- Past perfect
- had withdrawn
- Past perfect continuous
- had been withdrawing
- Future
- will withdraw
- Future continuous
- will be withdrawing
- Future perfect
- will have withdrawn
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been withdrawing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
With “from,” it identifies the place, group, or activity left behind; the movement may be physical or social. Sense 2: This sense is transitive and commonly takes an application, offer, remark, or sum of money as its object.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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