v.

1. pull back or move away or backward;
   retreat, pull away, draw back, recede, pull back, retire, move back
   
   • The enemy withdrew
   • The limo pulled away from the curb
2. withdraw from active participation;
   retire
   
   • He retired from chess
3. release from something that holds fast, connects, or entangles;
   disengage
   
   • I want to disengage myself from his influence
   • disengage the gears
4. cause to be returned;
   recall, call in, call back
   
   • recall the defective auto tires
   • The manufacturer tried to call back the spoilt yoghurt
5. take back what one has said;
   swallow, take back, unsay
   
   • He swallowed his words
6. keep away from others;
   seclude, sequester, sequestrate
   
   • He sequestered himself in his study to write a book
7. remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract;
   remove, take, take away
   
   • remove a threat
   • remove a wrapper
   • Remove the dirty dishes from the table
   • take the gun from your pocket
   • This machine withdraws heat from the environment
8. break from a meeting or gathering;
   adjourn, retire
   
   • We adjourned for lunch
   • The men retired to the library
9. retire gracefully;
   bow out
   
   • He bowed out when he realized he could no longer handle the demands of the chairmanship
10. remove (a commodity) from (a supply source);
    draw, take out, draw off
    
    • She drew $2,000 from the account
    • The doctors drew medical supplies from the hospital's emergency bank
11. lose interest;
    retire
    
    • he retired from life when his wife died
12. make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity;
    retreat, pull back, back out, back away, crawfish, crawfish out, pull in one's horns
    
    • We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him
    • He backed out of his earlier promise
    • The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns