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Detain vs Withdraw - What's the difference?

detain | withdraw |

In transitive terms the difference between detain and withdraw

is that detain is to keep back or from; to withhold while withdraw is to extract (money from an account).

As verbs the difference between detain and withdraw

is that detain is keep (someone) from proceeding by holding them back or making claims on their attention while withdraw is to pull (something) back, aside, or away.

detain

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • Keep (someone) from proceeding by holding them back or making claims on their attention.
  • To put under custody.
  • To keep back or from; to withhold.
  • * Jeremy Taylor
    • Detain not the wages of the hireling.

    withdraw

    English

    Verb

  • To pull (something) back, aside, or away.
  • * Hooker
    • Impossible it is that God should withdraw his presence from anything.
  • To take back (a comment, etc).
    • to withdraw false charges
  • To remove, to stop providing (one's support, etc).
  • To extract (money from an account).
  • To retreat.
  • To be in withdrawal from an addictive drug etc.
  • * 1994 , (Edward St Aubyn), Bad News , Picador 2006, p. 201:
    • Simon had tried to rob a bank while he was withdrawing , but he had been forced to surrender to the police after they had fired several volleys at him.