withdraw

[ with-draw, with- ]

verb (used with object)

, with·drew [wi, th, -, droo, with-], with·drawn [wi, th, -, drawn, with-], with·draw·ing.

1. to draw back, away, or aside; take back; remove:

   She withdrew her hand from his. He withdrew his savings from the bank.

2. to retract or recall:

   to withdraw an untrue charge.

   Synonyms: disavow, rescind, revoke

3. to cause (a person) to undergo withdrawal from addiction to a substance.

verb (used without object)

, with·drew [wi, th, -, droo, with-], with·drawn [wi, th, -, drawn, with-], with·draw·ing.

1. to go or move back, away, or aside; retire; retreat:

   to withdraw from the room.

2. to remove oneself from some activity, competition, etc.:

   He withdrew before I could nominate him.

3. to cease using or consuming an addictive narcotic (followed by from ):

   to withdraw from heroin.

4. Parliamentary Procedure. to remove an amendment, motion, etc., from consideration.

withdraw

/ wɪðˈdrɔː /

verb

1. tr to take or draw back or away; remove
2. tr to remove from deposit or investment in a bank, building society, etc
3. tr to retract or recall (a statement, promise, etc)
4. intr to retire or retreat

   the troops withdrew

5. introften foll byfrom to back out (of) or depart (from)

   he withdrew from public life

6. intr to detach oneself socially, emotionally, or mentally

Derived Forms

• withˈdrawer, noun
• withˈdrawable, adjective

Other Words From

• with·drawa·ble adjective
• with·drawer noun
• with·drawing·ness noun
• nonwith·drawa·ble adjective
• unwith·drawa·ble adjective
• unwith·drawing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of withdraw¹

First recorded in 1175–1225, withdraw is from the Middle English word withdrawen. See with-, draw

Word History and Origins

Origin of withdraw¹

C13: from with (in the sense: away from) + draw

Synonym Study

See depart.

Example Sentences

The BBC reported in October that an auction house in Oxfordshire had been forced to withdraw human and ancestral remains from a sale following criticism from native groups and museums.

From BBC

“I’m worried about people totally withdrawing from politics because it’s unpleasant,” said Aaron Weinschenk, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay who studies political behavior and elections.

From Los Angeles Times

In August, county Supervisor Steve Brandau surprised the developers when he asked the board to vote on withdrawing county support for the project, jeopardizing the state funds.

From Los Angeles Times

But both Merchant and Modi withdrew from the tour on medical grounds.

From BBC

David Handelman, a military analyst, suggested Ukrainian troops in the east were slowly withdrawing to preserve manpower and resources, rather than suffering from a broader collapse.

From BBC

Related Words

• depart
• disengage
• drop out
• eliminate
• go
• leave
• pull back
• pull out
• quit
• retire
• retreat