withdrew

Withdrew is the simple past tense of the verb withdraw. It means to pull something back, to remove oneself from participation or status, or to retract a statement, offer, or commitment. The term can describe physical movement away from a location, removing funds from an account, or withdrawing support, consent, or a position.

Grammatically, withdraw is irregular: present tense withdraw, past tense withdrew, and past participle withdrawn. In narrative writing, withdrew is commonly used to describe actions completed in the past, while withdrawal is the noun form referring to the act or process of pulling back or retracting.

Usage spans many contexts. In military or travel contexts, one might say a force withdrew from enemy territory. In finance, a person may withdrew funds from a bank account. In politics or law, a candidate or a claim can be withdrawn. In everyday language, someone might withdraw from a commitment or withdraw consent. The related noun withdrawal and the gerund withdrawing are frequently used to describe the act itself and ongoing processes.

Etymology traces withdraw to Old English wiþdragan, from dragian or dragan “to draw,” with a prefix akin to “against” or “back.” The modern form reflects historical changes in spelling and pronunciation, yielding the distinct past tense withdrew and the participle withdrawn. Related terms include withdrawal, withdrawing, and withdrawable in certain contexts.