1
as in keeps
to continue to have in one's possession or power
I plan to retain the family heirlooms until my own children are mature enough to appreciate them, and then I will lovingly pass them on
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in owns
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
that author retains the right to veto any changes in his books suggested by his publisher's notoriously intrusive editor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in employs
to provide with a paying job
her neighbor retained her as a nanny for the summer, thus giving her something to do until school started again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retains
The Free Press retains editorial control of this work.
—
Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Despite its modern exterior design, the Buzz retains some signatures of yesteryear’s vehicles.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
Best-practice recordkeeping retains those details, giving you the tools to follow up and build relationships.
—Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 25 Oct. 2025
Though Xi, 72, retains a firm grip on power, the lack of successors has raised fears of an internecine struggle, The New York Times reported.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025
The Life Of A Showgirl retains top spot on the ARIA Albums Chart for a third successive week.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2025
Although the look differs from conventional TENCEL™ Lyocell, the fiber retains the softness and other properties associated with the brand.
—Carved, Sourcing Journal, 22 Oct. 2025
Because the waste is collected just days after washing up onshore, the plastic retains its structural integrity and does not degrade from prolonged exposure to sun and saltwater.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
Word also, unfortunately, retains some seemingly illogical features from versions that date back several decades.
—PC Magazine, 18 Oct. 2025
Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Despite its modern exterior design, the Buzz retains some signatures of yesteryear’s vehicles.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
Best-practice recordkeeping retains those details, giving you the tools to follow up and build relationships.
—Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 25 Oct. 2025
Though Xi, 72, retains a firm grip on power, the lack of successors has raised fears of an internecine struggle, The New York Times reported.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025
The Life Of A Showgirl retains top spot on the ARIA Albums Chart for a third successive week.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2025
Although the look differs from conventional TENCEL™ Lyocell, the fiber retains the softness and other properties associated with the brand.
—Carved, Sourcing Journal, 22 Oct. 2025
Because the waste is collected just days after washing up onshore, the plastic retains its structural integrity and does not degrade from prolonged exposure to sun and saltwater.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
Word also, unfortunately, retains some seemingly illogical features from versions that date back several decades.
—PC Magazine, 18 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retains
Verb
-
By refusing to specify details of the case, the government keeps the possibility alive of changing their reasoning or their claims to have the same effect for different reasons—just as the mob changes its reasoning for killing Cinna.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The 61-year-old loves the hunt, and sifting through old belongings and hidden gems is what keeps him going.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Comcast One of the world’s biggest telecommunications companies, the conglomerate owns NBCUniversal, which includes film studios such as Universal Pictures and DreamWorks, cable channels such as CNBC and Bravo, as well as Peacock, a streaming platform.—
Melanie Hicken,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Like the rest of the new 2025 backers, FirstTracks is coming into Two Oaks Ventures, which owns the MLS team and operates its academy, its MLS Next Pro franchise and Q2 Stadium.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Chen’s Prince Group employs thousands of people and bills itself as one of the biggest conglomerates in Cambodia, with investments in luxury real estate, banking services, hotels, major construction developments, grocery stores and even luxury watches.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Rose Batteries employs about 30 people at the Corporate Court location, according to the company.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Polls show Sherrill in a tight race in New Jersey, while Spanberger holds a lead in Virginia.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Broncos defensive tackle Eyioma Uwazurike was given a year-long suspension in 2023 by the NFL for betting on games, and the team holds presentations on gambling every season, head coach Sean Payton said Friday.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Every company in the Fortune 500 Europe top 10 has roots from before the Second World War.—
Adam Gale,
Fortune,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Besides being one of the best ways to stay warm, puffer jackets are also unbelievably packable, much like this Eddie Bauer down jacket that has insulation for chilly days but can be folded or rolled to practically half its size.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
At this stage of the M&A sequence, a company hires financial advisors and, generally, prepares financial information to share with potential bidders.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
-
As the rest of the world hires up for an AI future, the company once known as Facebook reportedly hopes to cut about 600 jobs in its artificial intelligence unit.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This molecule possesses both a low lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy and a minimal barrier for releasing lithium ions.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Hong Kong possesses the heritage, ecosystem, and connectivity to lead this transformation.—
Sunny Tan,
Sourcing Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
White non-Hispanic voters lean toward Ciattarelli, 53 percent to 46 percent, while Sherrill enjoys a strong lead among nonwhite voters, 59 percent to 29 percent.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Antitrust law applies, because the rules are not collectively bargained with a union, and the NCAA—including its member institutions—enjoys monopoly control over the labor market.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retains. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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