1
as in kept
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in owned
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 employed
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 retained
Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Head coach Sean Payton retained him by promoting him to offensive coordinator and, critically, handing him primary play-calling duties.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
Upon arrival in Russia, passports are immediately confiscated and retained by North Korean security officials, according to the report.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Mair missed a 3 from the corner with 5 seconds to play for Duke, but the Blue Devils retained possession after the ball went off an LSU player.
—Joe Davidson
march 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2026
The inbound pass went out of bounds and Albany was initially ruled to have retained possession.
—Frank Rajkowski, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
Indian tribes retained the right to conduct Nevada-style casinos on reservations in 2000, a form of gambling that is otherwise prohibited through the state’s Constitution.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
The leadership group has also retained several familiar faces to help defend the NFC South division title during the upcoming season.
—Mike Kaye
march 26, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026
In March 2024, the county retained a private law firm to represent it in the Murray case under a contract that authorizes paying the firm up to $150,000 per year for five years.
—David Plymyer, Baltimore Sun, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
The City of Fort Collins says its drones are programmed to document their flight paths during every single flight, and the video from each flight is also recorded and retained.
—Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Head coach Sean Payton retained him by promoting him to offensive coordinator and, critically, handing him primary play-calling duties.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
Upon arrival in Russia, passports are immediately confiscated and retained by North Korean security officials, according to the report.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Mair missed a 3 from the corner with 5 seconds to play for Duke, but the Blue Devils retained possession after the ball went off an LSU player.
—Joe Davidson
march 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2026
The inbound pass went out of bounds and Albany was initially ruled to have retained possession.
—Frank Rajkowski, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
Indian tribes retained the right to conduct Nevada-style casinos on reservations in 2000, a form of gambling that is otherwise prohibited through the state’s Constitution.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
The leadership group has also retained several familiar faces to help defend the NFC South division title during the upcoming season.
—Mike Kaye
march 26, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026
In March 2024, the county retained a private law firm to represent it in the Murray case under a contract that authorizes paying the firm up to $150,000 per year for five years.
—David Plymyer, Baltimore Sun, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retained
Adjective
-
In the Village Voice, where the Consumer Guide became one of the fabled alt-weekly’s go-to features from the ’70s through the ’90s, Christgau wrote like a possessed fan who breathed insight, making every capsule sound like a psychedelic sonnet.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
29 Mar. 2026
-
David Dastmalchian stars as Jack Delroy, an opportunistic host who invites a possessed girl and a child psychologist as his guests for the night in a desperate bid for ratings.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Wacha kept the Braves off the scoreboard while Salvador Perez provided the offense, hitting his first homer of the season and snapping a personal 15-inning scoreless streak.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Ultimately, an Ohio family that owns the Browns helped buy the Crew and kept it in Columbus.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Flower Child is owned by Fox Restaurant Concepts, the company behind Wildflower American Cuisine, The Arrogant Butcher, Olive & Ivy and several other restaurants.—
Jenna Thompson
March 28,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Early Friday morning, data from the MarineTraffic website showed that two ultra-large container ships owned by China's biggest shipping company, COSCO, made a sharp U-turn after apparently trying to sail past Iran's Larak Island.—
Ramy Inocencio,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The officer is no longer employed by Baltimore Police Department and the individual no longer lives in Maryland, Bradford said.—
Chevall Pryce,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
-
More than 70 percent of the 45 million workers directly employed by India’s garment and textile industry—its second-largest employer after agriculture—are women.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This Diamondbacks rookie had a stellar debut.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Starters carry weight Suggs got going early with a nine-point first quarter and had 13 by the half with four rebounds and four assists.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Orr hired Campbell away from Oregon, where the coach’s mastery in recruiting helped boost the Ducks to national prominence.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Ultra has hired off-duty fire rescue crews to patrol the event, utilizing emergency aid kits and scooters to navigate the crowds and get patients to an ambulance faster.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The mound of snow being preserved at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center spans approximately 15,000 square feet.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The good bits have all been preserved.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retained. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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