Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To take back or away; remove.
- intransitive verb To cause to leave or return.
- intransitive verb To remove (money) from an account.
- intransitive verb To turn away (one's gaze, for example).
- intransitive verb To draw aside.
- intransitive verb To remove from consideration or participation.
- intransitive verb To recall or retract.
- intransitive verb To move or draw back; retire.
- intransitive verb To leave or return, as from a military position.
- intransitive verb To remove oneself from active participation.
- intransitive verb To become detached from social or emotional involvement.
- intransitive verb To recall or remove a motion from consideration in parliamentary procedure.
- intransitive verb To discontinue the use of an addictive substance.
- intransitive verb To adjust physiologically and mentally to this discontinuation.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To draw back, aside, or away; take back; remove.
- To recall; retract: as, to
withdraw a charge, a threat, or a vow. - To divert, as from use or from some accustomed channel.
- To take out; subtract.
- The word is often used reflexively.
- To retire; go away; step backward or aside; retreat.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To retire; to retreat; to quit a company or place; to go away.
- transitive verb To take back or away, as what has been bestowed or enjoyed; to draw back; to cause to move away or retire.
- transitive verb To take back; to recall or retract.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive To pull (something) back, aside, or away.
- verb transitive To
take back (a comment, etc). - verb transitive To
remove , to stop providing (one's support, etc). - verb transitive To
extract (money from an account). - verb intransitive To
retreat .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb withdraw from active participation
- verb retire gracefully
- verb cause to be returned
- verb pull back or move away or backward
- verb make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity
- verb remove (a commodity) from (a supply source)
- verb lose interest
- verb release from something that holds fast, connects, or entangles
- verb break from a meeting or gathering
- verb take back what one has said
- verb remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
- verb keep away from others
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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It suggests a much more active decision to end the treaty and is much closer to the term breach than the term withdraw.
The Right Word in the Right Place at the Right Time William Safire 2004
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It suggests a much more active decision to end the treaty and is much closer to the term breach than the term withdraw.
The Right Word in the Right Place at the Right Time William Safire 2004
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OH OH I forget he couldn't withdraw from a republican committee he had his hand in the pot to "withdraw" some of the coffers MAYBE
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In an apparent effort to undermine administration's efforts, Democratic Senators Barbara Boxer and Robert Casey joined with Republican Senators Johnny Isakson and Richard Burr in preparing a letter to President Obama that criticizes Abbas 'threat to withdraw from the talks while completely ignoring the threatened resumption of Netanyahu's illegal colonization drive that would prompt it.
Stephen Zunes: Senate Again Undermines Obama's Middle East Peace Efforts Stephen Zunes 2010
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There is no mention in the letter that Netanyahu should abide by commitments of previous Israeli governments to freeze the settlement drive nor is there any mention of the five UN Security Council resolutions and the 2004 World Court decision calling on Israel to withdraw from the already-existing settlements.
Stephen Zunes: Senate Again Undermines Obama's Middle East Peace Efforts Stephen Zunes 2010
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We'll see as our forces withdraw from the cities of Iraq that we never should have started that war either.
CNN Poll: Americans don't want to intervene in Iran election crisis 2009
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Although Nothing's protagonist, Pierre, seems to withdraw from the world, he is not necessarily a nihilist (one who believes in nothing).
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Check (Paul Ryan); forcing the US to withdraw from the UN?
Arianna Huffington: Sunday Roundup Arianna Huffington 2010
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However, a nihilist does not withdraw from the world and shout his beliefs from the treetops, nor does he care whether or not he can convert others to his philosophy.
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Recent polling shows Hickenlooper maintaining a consistent lead over Tancredo, with Maes -- the beleaguered GOP nominee who rejected calls to withdraw from the race -- dropping down to the single-digits.
Senate "Big Six" will determine fate of parties on Election Day Chris Cillizza 2010
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