MEANING
Resist a force, difficulty, or challenge without giving way.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- withstand pressure
- withstand scrutiny
On the page
The explanation did not withstand scrutiny of the original records.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- withstand
- Past tense
- withstood
- Past participle
- withstood
- Present participle
- withstanding
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- withstand
- Present continuous
- am/is/are withstanding
- Present perfect
- have/has withstood
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been withstanding
- Past
- withstood
- Past continuous
- was/were withstanding
- Past perfect
- had withstood
- Past perfect continuous
- had been withstanding
- Future
- will withstand
- Future continuous
- will be withstanding
- Future perfect
- will have withstood
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been withstanding
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: withstand; withstands; withstood; withstood; withstanding 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: withstands.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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