withdraw

withdraw — verb

1. to take money from a bank account so that you can spend it, or to remove an obje

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to take money from a bank account so that you can spend it, or to remove an object from the place where it was stored or kept.

Example

Rafael went to the bank to withdraw some cash for the weekend trip.

withdraw + cash/money + from bank

Ada withdrew all her savings from the account to pay for the medical bills.

Common collocations
  • withdraw cash
  • withdraw money
  • withdraw funds
  • withdraw savings
  • withdraw an object
  • withdraw from an account
Synonyms
  • take out

    more informal and common in everyday conversation; 'take out cash' vs. 'withdraw cash'

  • remove

    broader meaning; not used for financial transactions

  • pull out

    implies physical effort; informal; e.g. 'pull out a drawer'

Antonyms
  • deposit

    the opposite financial action — putting money into an account

  • insert

    the opposite of physically removing something

Grammar Patterns

withdraw + noun + from + noun phrase

Usage Note

When specifying the source, 'from' is required ('withdraw money from an account', not 'withdraw money of an account'). The physical sense (removing an object from a place) is less common than the financial sense but follows the same pattern.

Common Mistakes

I withdrew money of my account.
I withdrew money from my account.
'withdraw' always takes 'from', not 'of', to indicate the source.
She withdrew $50 from the ATM machine.
She withdrew $50 from the ATM.
'ATM' already means 'automated teller machine', so 'ATM machine' is redundant.

2. to stop communicating with the people around you and become quiet and focused on

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to stop communicating with the people around you and become quiet and focused on your own private thoughts, often because you are sad or worried.

Example

After the argument, Élise withdrew into herself and refused to speak for hours.

withdraw into oneself — become silent and socially disengaged

Talia noticed that her grandfather had begun to withdraw from family dinners and conversations.

Common collocations
  • withdraw into oneself
  • withdraw from friends
  • withdraw from family
  • withdraw emotionally
  • withdraw socially
  • withdraw from conversation
Synonyms
  • retreat into oneself

    similar but more literary; implies deliberate emotional hiding

  • clam up

    informal; means to stop talking suddenly, without the emotional depth of 'withdraw'

  • shut down

    informal; implies a complete stop in emotional expression

Antonyms
  • open up

    to start sharing thoughts and feelings with others

  • engage

    to actively participate in social interaction

Grammar Patterns

withdraw + into + oneself

withdraw + from + people

Usage Note

Often describes a gradual emotional or psychological process, not a one-time action. Common collocation is 'withdraw into oneself' — the reflexive sense is unique to this meaning. Distinguish from sense 3 (MOVE BACK), which is about physical position.

Common Mistakes

She withdrawed from the conversation.
She withdrew from the conversation.
'withdraw' is an irregular verb (withdraw → withdrew → withdrawn).
He withdrew himself from the group' (meaning he became quiet).
He withdrew from the group.
The reflexive 'himself' is used in formal or literary contexts but sounds unnatural in everyday speech for this sense.

3. to go back from a person or location, typically when conditions grow unsafe or a

3.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to go back from a person or location, typically when conditions grow unsafe or a decision changes.

Example

The soldiers were ordered to withdraw from the area before nightfall.

withdraw from [location] for safety or strategic reasons

Tariq withdrew his hand immediately when he felt the hot surface of the stove.

Common collocations
  • withdraw from an area
  • withdraw troops
  • withdraw forces
  • withdraw one's hand
  • withdraw to safety
  • order to withdraw
Synonyms
  • retreat

    often implies being forced back by an enemy or difficult situation

  • pull back

    more informal; common in sports and military contexts

  • step back

    usually a short, single movement away from something

Antonyms
  • advance

    to move forward, especially in a military context

  • approach

    to move closer to a person or place

Grammar Patterns

withdraw (intransitive)

withdraw + noun + from + noun phrase

Usage Note

Can be used transitively ('withdraw one's hand') or intransitively ('the army withdrew'). In military contexts, the intransitive use with 'from' is standard. Compared to 'retreat', 'withdraw' can imply a voluntary, orderly move rather than a forced one.

Common Mistakes

He withdrawed from the room.
He withdrew from the room.
The past tense is 'withdrew', not 'withdrawed'.
They retreated from the area' (when you mean an orderly, non-forced move).
They withdrew from the area.
'Retreat' implies being forced back or losing ground; 'withdraw' can be neutral or deliberate.

4. to stop being involved in an activity, competition, or group, and leave it, usua

4.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to stop being involved in an activity, competition, or group, and leave it, usually after careful thought.

Example

Niran withdrew from the race after the doctor said his knee needed surgery.

withdraw from [competition/activity]

Amani decided to withdraw her name from the list of candidates for the role.

Common collocations
  • withdraw from a race
  • withdraw from a competition
  • withdraw from an agreement
  • withdraw from a committee
  • withdraw a name
  • withdraw an application
  • withdraw support
Synonyms
  • pull out of

    informal; common in news and sports reporting; 'pull out of the deal'

  • drop out of

    implies leaving a course, race, or program; suggests the person could not continue

  • resign from

    specifically leaving a job or formal position; more permanent

Antonyms
  • join

    to become a member of an organization or activity

  • enter

    to sign up for a competition or event

Grammar Patterns

withdraw + from + activity/organization/competition

Usage Note

Unlike sense 3 (MOVE BACK), this sense is not about physical movement but about ending a commitment or membership. The preposition 'from' is almost always used. Common objects of 'withdraw' in this sense are 'name', 'application', 'support', 'membership'.

Common Mistakes

She withdrawed from the competition.
She withdrew from the competition.
The past tense for all senses of 'withdraw' is 'withdrew'.
He withdrew the competition.
He withdrew from the competition.
'from' is required when the meaning is 'stop participating in'.

5. to announce that a former statement or accusation is incorrect, usually to fix a

5.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to announce that a former statement or accusation is incorrect, usually to fix an error or prevent further trouble.

Example

Asher formally withdrew his statement after learning that he had been given wrong information.

withdraw + statement/claim/accusation (formal register)

The newspaper had to withdraw its claim about the politician when the truth came out.

Common collocations
  • withdraw a statement
  • withdraw a claim
  • withdraw an accusation
  • withdraw a complaint
  • withdraw remarks
  • withdraw an allegation
Synonyms
  • retract

    almost identical in meaning; slightly more formal and often used in legal contexts

  • take back

    informal; the everyday phrase for admitting you were wrong

  • recant

    stronger meaning; implies giving up a belief or opinion, often under pressure

Antonyms
  • assert

    to state something firmly and confidently

  • maintain

    to continue to say that something is true despite opposition

Grammar Patterns

withdraw + statement/claim/accusation

Usage Note

This sense is almost always transitive — you withdraw something (a statement, claim, accusation). It belongs to formal register and is typical of legal, journalistic, or official contexts. It implies a public or official correction, not a casual change of mind.

Common Mistakes

He withdrawed his accusation.
He withdrew his accusation.
The irregular form 'withdrew' applies to all senses.
I withdraw what I said' (in casual conversation).
I take back what I said
'Withdraw' in this sense sounds overly formal for everyday speech; use 'take back' instead.

Word family

  • withdrawal
    nounB2
  • withdrawn
    adjectiveB2
  • withdrawable
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Withdraw' (TAKE OUT, verb/1) is the most formal option of these four, used mainly for bank transactions ('withdraw cash from an account') and for taking objects out of where they are kept in a careful or official manner ('withdraw a book from the shelf'). 'Remove' is broader — it covers any act of taking something away ('remove a stain', 'remove a name from a list'), with no special connection to money. 'Take out' is neutral and everyday: you take out cash, take out the rubbish, take out a loan. It is less formal than 'withdraw' and works in almost all contexts. 'Pull out' adds a sense of physical effort or suddenness ('pull out a drawer', 'pull out a tooth'), and it is informal. In short: use 'withdraw' for formal/financial situations, 'take out' for everyday speech, 'remove' when the object is abstract or the method is unspecified, and 'pull out' when you want to emphasise the physical action.

withdraw ↗remove ↗take out ↗pull out ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • withdraw from
  • withdraw into oneself

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Withdraw' entered English in the early 1200s from Middle English 'withdrawen', which combined 'with-' (meaning 'away, back') and 'drawen' (meaning 'to pull'). The original meaning was simply 'to pull back or take away'. By the 1300s the word had developed its financial sense of removing money from a place of deposit. The psychological meaning — becoming quiet and detached — appeared in the late 1800s.