Synonyms

withstand

American

[with-stand, with-] / wɪθˈstænd, wɪð- /

verb (used with object)

withstood, withstanding

to stand or hold out against; resist or oppose, especially successfully: to withstand the invaders;

to withstand rust;
to withstand the invaders;
to withstand temptation.

Synonyms:

face, confront

verb (used without object)

withstood, withstanding

to stand in opposition; resist.

withstand British

/ wɪðˈstænd /

verb

(tr) to stand up to forcefully; resist
(intr) to remain firm in endurance or opposition

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See oppose.

Other Word Forms

unwithstanding adjective
unwithstood adjective
withstander noun
withstandingness noun

Etymology

Origin of withstand

First recorded before 900; Middle English withstanden, Old English withstandan ( with-, stand ); cognate with Old Norse vithstanda; akin to German widerstehen

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.

“But these funds have been designed to withstand the pressures.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Until now, fracture has been considered a property of elasticity, which is a material's ability to store and withstand stress.

From Science Daily

The trees of Deadwood had long withstood the temperamental Afterlife on All Hallows’ Eve.

From Literature

The bunker was strong enough to withstand that, so it can hold it within and collapse upon itself.

From Los Angeles Times

What drew me to Plaid is, this is a company that I know has every right—that we’re building into a company that can withstand the scrutiny of public markets.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023