Withdrawal is the act of taking something out or pulling back from a situation. When you make a withdrawal from your savings account, you're taking money out. When a country announces the withdrawal of its troops from another nation, those soldiers are coming home.

The word often suggests a deliberate movement away from something you were previously part of. A student might consider withdrawing from a class they're struggling with, meaning they'd officially leave it and stop attending. A runner might have to withdraw from a race due to an injury.

In medicine, withdrawal describes what happens when someone's body reacts to suddenly stopping something it had become dependent on, like caffeine. If you drink hot chocolate every morning and suddenly stop, you might get headaches: that's caffeine withdrawal. Your body had adjusted to expecting that caffeine and now has to readjust.

People also use withdraw to describe pulling back emotionally or socially. When someone feels hurt or overwhelmed, they might withdraw from friends and family, becoming quiet and distant. If you notice this happening, it can help to check in kindly or ask a trusted adult for support.