to withdraw / revoke
Loading your saved state.
to revoke / withdraw
To take something away from someone, often through an official order or authority. Frequently refers to rights, permits, or possessions.
Die Polizei hat dem betrunkenen Fahrer den Führerschein entzogen.
The police revoked the drunk driver's license.
to avoid
To deliberately avoid or try to escape an obligation, a situation, or a person.
Man kann sich seiner Verantwortung nicht einfach entziehen.
You can't simply avoid your responsibility.
to remove / extract
To remove or extract a particular material or substance from something else.
Für entkoffeinierten Kaffee wird den Bohnen das Koffein entzogen.
For decaffeinated coffee, the caffeine is removed from the beans.
to be beyond one's knowledge
A formal expression meaning that something is unknown, incomprehensible, or not understandable to someone.
Es entzieht sich meiner Kenntnis, warum die Entscheidung so getroffen wurde.
It is beyond my knowledge why the decision was made that way.
'Entziehen' (to withdraw/revoke) is an inseparable verb because it begins with 'ent-'. The prefix often means 'away' or 'out'. Together with 'ziehen' (to pull), this gives the basic idea of 'pulling away' or 'taking away'.
Man kann einem Kind nicht einfach das Spielzeug entziehen.
You can't simply take a child's toy away.
When something is taken away from someone, the person is in the dative and the thing is in the accusative. The structure is: subject entzieht + dative object + accusative object.
Der Arzt hat ihm Süßigkeiten entzogen.
The doctor took sweets away from him.
In the reflexive form 'sich entziehen' (to avoid), the thing one is avoiding is in the dative. The structure is: sich (accusative) + something (dative) + entziehen.
Er versuchte, sich der Diskussion zu entziehen.
He tried to avoid the discussion.
This meaning is often used in official or legal contexts. Typical things that are revoked or withdrawn are 'der Führerschein' (the driver's license), 'das Sorgerecht' (custody), 'das Vertrauen' (trust), or 'die Unterstützung' (support).
Nach dem Skandal entzogen ihm viele Sponsoren ihre Unterstützung.
After the scandal, many sponsors withdrew their support from him.
In the meaning 'extrahieren' (to extract), 'entziehen' (to remove/extract) is usually used in a technical or chemical context. It is about removing one substance from another.
Durch Trocknung wird dem Obst das Wasser entzogen.
Through drying, the water is removed from the fruit.
The expression 'sich jemandes Kenntnis entziehen' (to be beyond someone's knowledge) is very formal. The subject is always 'es' (it), and the person who does not know something is in the dative.
Es entzieht sich meiner Kenntnis, wer diese Entscheidung getroffen hat.
It is beyond my knowledge who made this decision.
to escape / miss
Both words can mean that someone avoids being exposed to an unpleasant situation or person. Sich entziehen, however, usually emphasizes deliberately avoiding or distancing oneself. Entgehen can also describe being spared unintentionally; use entziehen for active avoidance and entgehen for the result.
Er entzog sich der unangenehmen Kontrolle, indem er das Gebäude durch den Hinterausgang verließ.
He avoided the unpleasant inspection by leaving the building through the back entrance.
Durch einen Fehler in der Liste entging er der unangenehmen Kontrolle.
Because of an error in the list, he avoided the unpleasant inspection.
