MEANING
Refuse or delay giving something that might otherwise be supplied.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- withhold information
- withhold approval
On the page
The editor withheld approval until the sources were checked.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- withhold
- Past tense
- withheld
- Past participle
- withheld
- Present participle
- withholding
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- withhold
- Present continuous
- am/is/are withholding
- Present perfect
- have/has withheld
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been withholding
- Past
- withheld
- Past continuous
- was/were withholding
- Past perfect
- had withheld
- Past perfect continuous
- had been withholding
- Future
- will withhold
- Future continuous
- will be withholding
- Future perfect
- will have withheld
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been withholding
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: withhold; withholds; withheld; withheld; withholding Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, explanation, evaluation. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: withholds.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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