Withhold in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice

Withhold means to refuse to give something or to keep it back deliberately. To use withhold in a sentence, name the thing being kept back and, often, the person denied it: “The company withheld the report from investors.” The verb is transitive and appears most often in formal, legal and financial writing.

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Withhold at a glance

Withhold is a transitive verb; its forms are withholds, withheld, withholding and withholding as a noun.
Its senses are refusing to give something, keeping back a feeling, and delaying a decision.
The usual objects are information, payment, consent, judgment and support.
Withhold belongs to formal, legal and financial writing rather than casual talk.
The commonest error is writing withold, which drops the second h.

What does withhold mean?

Withhold is a transitive verb meaning to refuse to give something, or to keep it back on purpose. The Cambridge entry for withhold records these senses, which all share the idea of a deliberate choice not to release something. Where a person conceals a fact, the fact is hidden; where a person withholds it, the fact may be known but is simply not handed over.

Sense	Plain meaning	Example sentence
Refuse to give	Decline to hand over money, facts or consent	The company withheld the report.
Keep back	Hold something and not release it	She withheld her tears until the door closed.
Delay a decision	Decline to pronounce judgment yet	The judge withheld judgment until Monday.

One limitation is worth stating plainly. Withhold does not mean forget or lose. It names a deliberate choice to keep something back, so using it for an accidental omission misleads the reader about who decided what, and why.

How do you use withhold in a sentence?

Put the person or body that keeps something back as the subject, and the thing kept back as the object. Add from plus a person when the sentence needs to say who was denied it.

Pattern	Example	What it signals
subject + withhold + object	The bank withheld the funds.	A person or body keeps something back.
withhold + object + from + person	They withheld the news from the family.	Names both the thing and the person denied it.
withhold + judgment or consent	The board withheld consent.	A fixed object common in formal writing.
be withheld	Payment was withheld pending review.	Passive, common in policy and finance.

Cartoon cards show facts, pay and consent sliding into the object slot after the verb withhold. — What is withheld is information, money or consent, not a place.

Withhold in a sentence: examples across contexts

Withhold changes register more than meaning. Where the point is refusing a request, deny a request is the plainer verb; withhold stays with the thing that is kept back rather than the request itself.

Context	Example sentence	Why this works
Classroom	The referee withheld the final score until both teams had finished.	A deliberate delay is exactly what the verb names.
Workplace email	We are withholding the draft until legal has read it.	Names the thing held back and the reason.
News report	The ministry withheld two pages of the inquiry.	Public bodies withholding documents is a common report.
Legal writing	The court withheld judgment while the appeal was pending.	The fixed object judgment signals a formal pause.
Financial writing	The firm withheld tax from every payment.	The legal sense of deducting money before it is paid.
Academic prose	The authors withheld their data until publication.	A deliberate hold is normal in research ethics.
Everyday conversation	He withheld the good news to surprise her at dinner.	Even in speech the choice to keep something back is clear.
Emotional writing	She withheld her anger and answered calmly.	The keep-back sense applied to a feeling rather than a thing.

Withhold vs hold back

Withhold and hold back overlap, and the difference is force. Withhold is a formal, deliberate refusal to give; hold back is a looser phrasal verb for any restraint, physical or emotional.

Attribute	withhold	hold back
Form	Single formal verb	Phrasal verb
Core meaning	Refuse to give something	Restrain or keep from moving forward
Typical object	Information, payment or consent	A person, a tear, a crowd or a fact
Register	Formal, legal and financial	Neutral and everyday
Can it be intransitive?	No	Yes, as in the crowd held back

Verdict: use withhold for a deliberate, formal refusal to hand something over, and hold back tears or a crowd when the point is restraint rather than refusal.

Word forms and grammar of withhold

Form	Part of speech	Example
withhold	verb, base form	Do not withhold the fee without notice.
withholds	verb, third person singular	The rule withholds pay for late filing.
withheld	verb, past and past participle	They withheld the results for a week.
withholding	verb, present participle	He was withholding information.
withholding	noun	The withholding of evidence was serious.
withholdable	adjective, rare	The clause made the sum withholdable.

The past tense is withheld, not withold or withholded, and the word always keeps its double h. A company that retains a copy may still decide what to withhold from the public record.

A sentence with refrain names the person and an action, while withhold names the thing kept back.

Common mistakes with withhold

Incorrect: ~~The council withold the report.~~ Correct: The council withheld the report. Rule: The past tense is withheld, and the word keeps its double h.
Incorrect: ~~She withheld from answering.~~ Correct: She refrained from answering. Rule: Withhold takes a direct object, so it cannot be followed by from and leave the object out.
Incorrect: ~~He withheld the money was needed.~~ Correct: He withheld the money that was needed. Rule: The verb takes a noun phrase, not a bare clause.
Incorrect: ~~They withheld to release the file.~~ Correct: They refused to release the file. Rule: Withhold is not followed by an infinitive; use refuse or decline.

Practice using withhold

Work through the six items, then check the reasoning rather than only the answer.

Fill the gap: The editor ______ the name to protect the source.
Choose the better word: After the decision, the team (withheld / held back) their applause at first.
Correct the error: The agency withheld from publishing the figures.
Build a sentence: use withhold + object + from about a test result.
Spot the register: which belongs in a contract — the seller may withhold delivery, or the seller is keeping the stuff back?
Rewrite with the noun: The company withheld the evidence. Use withholding instead.

Answers

withheld — the editor deliberately kept the name back, and the past tense is withheld.
held back — the point is restraint, not a formal refusal to give.
The agency refused to publish the figures — withhold needs a direct object, not from and a verb.
Model answer: The teacher withheld the marks from the class until every paper was graded.
The seller may withhold delivery — a contract is formal, and the phrasal verb is too loose.
The company’s withholding of the evidence was serious — the noun needs a possessive and of.

The bottom line

Use withhold in a sentence when a person or body deliberately keeps something back, and keep the thing kept back as the object. Two nuances decide most cases: the verb is transitive, so an object is required, and it names a choice, so it does not fit an accidental omission. For a physical or emotional restraint, hold back is the plainer choice.

A single unified cartoon scene contrasts a child hugging a ball tightly with a child keeping a second note in a pocket. — Hold back restrains; withhold refuses to hand over.

Frequently asked questions about withhold

Is withhold one word or two?

Withhold is one word, spelled with a double h. It comes from the old phrase hold with and has been written as a single verb for centuries. The separate words with hold would be a different phrase entirely, so the spelling distinction matters in formal documents.

What is the past tense of withhold?

The past tense and past participle are both withheld, as in the bank withheld the funds and the funds were withheld. It follows the same pattern as hold and held. The forms withold and withholded are misspellings and never correct.

Does withhold always mean refusing information?

No. Information is common, but the verb also covers payment, consent, judgment and support. A payroll system withholds tax, a court withholds judgment, and a board withholds consent. The shared idea is a deliberate choice to keep something back rather than hand it over.

Can you withhold an emotion?

Yes, in the keep-back sense. You can withhold tears, anger or a smile, though the expression sounds more formal than holding them back. The emotional use keeps the same core meaning: something is deliberately kept in rather than let out.

Have you ever come across a sentence where something is intentionally kept back or not disclosed? That’s the essence of the term “withhold.” In grammar, withholding means retaining details or information within a sentence.

In the world of language, “withhold” refers to the act of not revealing or sharing certain aspects of a sentence, be it for suspense, privacy, or emphasis. Let’s explore how this concept adds depth and intrigue to our written and spoken communication.

7 Examples Of Withhold Used In a Sentence For Kids

Withhold your tears, and be brave.
You should not withhold your toys from your friends.
It’s not good to withhold the truth, always be honest.
It’s not nice to withhold your smile, spread happiness.
Don’t withhold your hand when someone needs help.
We should never withhold our love from our family.
Always remember to withhold judgment until you hear the whole story.

14 Sentences with Withhold Examples

Withhold your judgment until you have all the necessary information.
It is not advisable to withhold study materials from your classmates.
The professor may withhold your exam results if there are discrepancies in your answer sheet.
Students often withhold their opinions during group projects to avoid conflict.
It is important to withhold your personal information on social media for privacy reasons.
Academic institutions can withhold your degree if you have outstanding fees or dues.
The college may withhold scholarships if you fail to maintain a certain GPA.
Some students withhold important feedback during peer evaluations to avoid confrontation.
It is unethical to withhold information that could benefit your classmates during exams.
Professors may withhold exam grades until all students have completed the assessment.
Students should not withhold critical feedback during group discussions for the sake of constructive criticism.
The university may withhold financial aid if you do not meet the eligibility criteria.
It is best to withhold your emotions and remain calm during presentations.
College students should not withhold their creativity when working on projects or assignments.

How To Use Withhold in Sentences?

Withhold means to refrain from giving, granting, or allowing. To use withhold in a sentence, follow these steps:

Identify the context: Determine the situation where you want to use the word withhold. It could be in a scenario where someone is denying access or holding back information.
Choose the subject: Decide who or what is doing the withholding. It could be a person, organization, or even a natural force.
Select the object: Determine what is being withheld. This could be money, permission, emotions, or any other tangible or intangible thing.
Construct the sentence: Put these elements together in a grammatically correct way. For example, “The company decided to withhold bonuses until the project was completed.”
Ensure proper usage: Check that the sentence makes sense and fits the context where withhold is appropriate. Remember that withhold typically implies a deliberate act of refusal or restraint.
Practice: To become more comfortable using withhold in sentences, try incorporating it into your daily writing or speaking. The more you practice, the more natural it will become.

Remember, using words like withhold effectively takes practice and familiarity with their meanings. By following these steps and practicing regularly, you can improve your skill in using withhold in a sentence with confidence.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the concept of withholding information or resources is evident in various contexts, such as legal agreements, financial transactions, and personal relationships. Whether it be delaying the release of sensitive data, retaining payment until certain conditions are met, or refraining from sharing important details, the act of withholding carries significant implications for all parties involved. These instances demonstrate the power dynamics, trust issues, and potential consequences associated with the deliberate choice to withhold.

Overall, it is crucial to carefully consider the reasons behind withholding and its impact on communication, transparency, and accountability. By understanding the nuances of when and why information or resources are being withheld, individuals and organizations can navigate these situations effectively, maintain trust, and foster healthy relationships built on openness and integrity.