withdraw
/wɪðˈdrɔː
/verb (past withdrew /wɪðˈdruː/; past participle withdrawn /wɪðˈdrɔːn/) [with object]
1Remove or take away (something) from a particular place or position: Ruth withdrew her hand from his she prised open the lid and withdrew a slim diamond ring...
- He paused when he reached the right position and withdrew a small amount of clear fluid.
- Slowly, Matt withdrew both his hands, but he didn't stop kissing her.
- In fact the smog lifted about 10 years ago, after ageing fleets of cars and buses were withdrawn and industries were removed from the centre.
Synonyms
remove, extract, draw out, pull out, take out;
take back, pull back, take away
1.1Take (money) out of an account: normally you can withdraw up to £50 in cash...
- In December 2003 Mrs Hill sent a cheque for her council tax and the money was withdrawn from her bank account.
- References to stolen goods include money which is dishonestly withdrawn from an account to which a wrongful credit has been made, but only to the extent that the money derives from the credit.
- During the six months Ying lived with Kang, he learned the pin numbers on Kang's bank accounts and is believed to have withdrawn money from the accounts.
Synonyms
take out, draw out
2Leave or cause to leave a place or situation: [no object]: UN forces withdrew from the province [with object]: both countries agreed to withdraw their troops...
- The government has agreed to withdraw some of its forces following the handover of weapons.
- Cuban troops were to be withdrawn and a reluctant Savimbi was forced to the negotiating table.
- In the end, I gracefully withdrew myself from the situation, chalking it up to an idea before its time.
Synonyms
leave, pull out of, move out of, evacuate, quit, retire from, retreat from, pull back from;
disengage from
2.1 [no object] Cease to participate in an activity or be a member of a team or organization: his rival withdrew from the race on the second lap...
- The perception of poor teamwork by one team member, whether actual or perceived, is enough to change the dynamics within that team, causing that team member to withdraw.
- However, during the course of the study, two participating faculty members withdrew.
- Party members pressured Essis to withdraw from the race, but he refused to do so.
Synonyms
pull out of, back out of, beg off, bow out of, scratch from;
get cold feet
North American informal crap out
Australian/New Zealand informal pike on
archaic recede from
2.2 [with object] Prevent (someone) from participating in an activity: patients were withdrawn from therapy when they had been depression-free for a month...
- Ankrah secured an ex-parte injunction preventing Elias and Associates from replacing her or withdrawing her from the pageant.
- But the Brandsby trainer withdrew him from that contest after inspecting the Chepstow course and expressing concerns that all the frost had not come out of the ground.
- Unhappy at the standard of care that his two-year-old daughter was receiving from an Edinburgh nursery, he withdrew her on grounds of safety.
3 [no object] Depart to another place in search of quiet or privacy: they withdrew to their rooms for a siesta...
- Boys would approach girls, a pickup would ensue, and the couple would withdraw into another room, she says.
- Carson chose to let Tonight stand as his career zenith and his finale, withdrawing into a quiet retirement that suited his private nature and refusing involvement in other show business projects.
- Queen Mary and the Dauphin and Genevieve and the Maries came and said quiet prayers before withdrawing without disturbing her.
Synonyms
go, retire, retreat, take oneself, leave, depart, absent oneself, adjourn, decamp, beat a retreat;
shut oneself away
formal repair, remove
literary betake oneself
rare abstract oneself
3.1Retreat from contact or communication with other people: he went silent and withdrew into himself...
- Because of the rifts between the students, Mellisa, who felt that she hadn't many friends, withdrew into herself.
- He withdrew into himself and drank heavily, eventually joining AA.
- I survived because I withdrew into myself, became self-sufficient, adept at loneliness.
4Discontinue or no longer provide (something previously supplied or offered): the party threatened to withdraw its support for the government...
- Management had threatened to withdraw the offer if the workers had not accepted it by August 11.
- Bareis was appalled by the painting and withdrew his $300 offer.
- Then on Tuesday, they were told the offers had been withdrawn.
Synonyms
abolish, cancel, lift, raise, set aside, discontinue, end, stop, terminate, remove, reverse, revoke, rescind, repeal, countermand, annul, void
4.1Say that (a statement one has made) is untrue or unjustified: he failed to withdraw his remarks and apologize...
- The paper also reported that a young female witness had withdrawn an earlier statement that she had seen a streak of light cross a road near the factory minutes before the explosion.
- Witnesses in criminal proceedings against these people are being intimidated, so they do not make any statements or withdraw those already made.
- Counsellor McCarthy said he was not sure what remarks he had been asked to withdraw and that he was not prepared to withdraw any remarks he had made in any event.
Synonyms
retract, take back, unsay, go back on, recall, recant, disavow, disclaim, abjure, repudiate, renounce;
back down, climb down, backtrack, row back, back-pedal, do a U-turn, eat one's words;
British do an about-turn
5 [no object] Cease to take an addictive drug: for the cocaine user, it is possible to withdraw without medication...
- I was withdrawing from heroin and I was put into a cell, no T.V., no tobacco, nothing.
- The association feared that the estimated 10 000 UK patients taking primidone had not been given enough time to withdraw from the drug safely.
- Five of the women who died were on a wing, which holds new inmates - most of whom are withdrawing from drugs or alcohol - in their first days in prison.
Origin
Middle English: from the prefix with- 'away' + the verb draw.