What Is the Opposite of Share?
The most common opposite of share is keep when share means giving part of something to others. Depending on context, other opposites include withhold, conceal, keep to oneself, monopolize, and exclude. The correct antonym depends on what share means in the sentence.
Quick Answer
The main antonym of share is keep when you mean choosing not to give something to others.
- Share → give or divide something with others.
- Keep → retain something instead of giving it away.
- Withhold → deliberately refuse to give or provide something.
- Conceal → keep information hidden.
- Monopolize → keep control or exclusive use of something.
For example:
She shared her notes with the class.
She kept her notes to herself.
The best opposite changes when share refers to information, resources, participation, or common ownership.
Share and Its Opposite
| Word | Meaning | Example |
| Share | Give part of something to others or use something together | We shared the food. |
| Keep | Retain something instead of giving it to others | He kept the money. |
| Withhold | Refuse to give or provide something | The company withheld the information. |
| Conceal | Keep something hidden | She concealed the truth. |
| Monopolize | Take or keep exclusive control of something | He monopolized the conversation. |
Definition
Share: To give part of something to someone else, divide something among people, or have something in common with others.
Main antonym: Keep to retain something rather than give, divide, or pass it to others.
What You’ll Learn
After reading this guide, you will know:
- The main antonyms of share
- Why keep is often the closest opposite
- Which antonym fits information, resources, and participation
- How to use different opposites naturally in sentences
- Why some apparent opposites work only in specific contexts
Main Antonyms for Share
1. Keep
Keep is the most natural general opposite of share when someone retains something instead of giving it to others.
Example:
I decided to keep the extra money instead of sharing it.
Share: give or divide with others
Keep: retain for yourself
This is especially natural with money, food, possessions, belongings, and physical objects.
2. Withhold
Withhold means deliberately refusing to give or provide something that someone might expect or need.
Example:
The manager withheld important information from the employees.
Unlike keep, withhold often suggests a deliberate decision not to provide something.
- Keep → retain something
- Withhold → deliberately refuse to give or provide something
Withhold is particularly useful in formal, professional, and legal contexts.
3. Conceal
Conceal is an appropriate opposite when share means revealing or communicating information.
Example:
The witness concealed important details from the investigators.
Compare:
She shared the information with her colleagues.
She concealed the information from her colleagues.
Conceal specifically emphasizes hiding something rather than simply keeping it.
4. Keep to Yourself
Keep to yourself is a natural phrase when share means telling others your thoughts, feelings, experiences, or personal information.
Example:
He prefers to keep his personal problems to himself.
Compare:
She shared her concerns with her friend.
She kept her concerns to herself.
This expression is more conversational than withhold or conceal.
5. Monopolize
Monopolize can function as a contextual opposite when share means allowing others equal access, use, attention, or participation.
Example:
One student monopolized the discussion and gave nobody else a chance to speak.
Here, share and monopolize contrast in terms of participation:
- Share the discussion → allow others to participate
- Monopolize the discussion → dominate it
It is not a universal antonym of share, but it is useful in this particular context.
6. Hoard
Hoard means collecting or keeping a large amount of something instead of distributing or using it.
Example:
Some people hoard supplies instead of sharing them with others.
Hoard is stronger than keep because it often suggests keeping more than is reasonably needed.
7. Exclude
Exclude means deliberately leaving someone out or preventing them from participating.
Example:
The group shared the project with everyone instead of excluding new members.
This works when share involves inclusion or participation rather than physical objects.
8. Retain
Retain means continue to possess or keep something.
Example:
The company retained the information instead of sharing it publicly.
Retain is more formal than keep and is common in academic, business, and professional writing.
9. Reserve
Reserve means keep something for a particular person, purpose, or later use.
Example:
She reserved the last portion instead of sharing it with the others.
It can contrast with share when something is intentionally kept for a specific use or person.
10. Hide
Hide means put something where it cannot easily be seen or found.
Example:
He hid the documents instead of sharing them with the team.
Hide is an everyday alternative to conceal, but it is not always a direct antonym of share. It fits best when sharing involves making something available or visible.
11. Seclude
Seclude means keep someone or something apart from others.
Example:
The organization should not seclude new members from important discussions.
This is a less common contextual opposite and should not replace keep in ordinary sentences.
12. Divide Unequally
When share means dividing something fairly among people, an opposite idea can be divide unequally.
Example:
The supplies were divided unequally, leaving some students with much less.
This is a contextual contrast rather than a single-word antonym.
13. Appropriate
In some contexts, appropriate can contrast with share when someone takes something for personal use without allowing others access.
Example:
The manager was accused of appropriating resources intended for the entire team.
However, appropriate does not mean the direct opposite of share in ordinary English. It should be used only when the context involves taking or assigning something for oneself.
14. Privatize
Privatize can contrast with share in discussions about ownership or access.
Example:
The policy would privatize resources that were previously available to the community.
This is a specialized contextual contrast, not a general antonym.
15. Separate
Separate may contrast with share when share means having something jointly or in common.
Example:
The two companies separated their operations instead of sharing resources.
Again, this is context-dependent rather than a direct dictionary antonym.
Different Meanings, Different Opposites
The meaning of share determines which opposite sounds natural.
| Meaning of share | Suitable opposite | Example |
| Give part of something to others | Keep | She shared her lunch instead of keeping it. |
| Provide information | Withhold | The company withheld the details. |
| Reveal information | Conceal | He concealed the facts. |
| Tell personal thoughts or feelings | Keep to oneself | She kept her feelings to herself. |
| Allow joint use | Monopolize | He monopolized the equipment. |
| Allow participation | Exclude | They excluded him from the discussion. |
| Keep large amounts for yourself | Hoard | They hoarded supplies. |
| Have something in common | Separate / differ | The two groups differ in their opinions. |
This is why simply memorizing one antonym for share can lead to awkward sentences.
Understanding Each Antonym
Keep vs. Share
Keep is the broadest and most everyday opposite.
We shared the cake.
We kept the cake.
The contrast is straightforward: one person distributes or gives access, while the other retains possession.
Withhold vs. Share
Withhold emphasizes an intentional refusal to provide something.
The doctor shared the information with the patient.
The doctor withheld the information.
It is especially useful for information, payment, support, evidence, or permission.
Conceal vs. Share
Conceal focuses on hiding information or something that should otherwise be visible.
She shared the truth with her family.
She concealed the truth from her family.
Hoard vs. Share
Hoard suggests keeping an excessive amount rather than distributing it.
They shared the emergency supplies.
They hoarded the emergency supplies.
Exclude vs. Share
Exclude focuses on preventing someone from being included.
The teacher shared the activity with the whole class.
The teacher excluded some students from the activity.
Monopolize vs. Share
Monopolize means taking exclusive control or using something without giving others a fair opportunity.
The children shared the playground.
One child monopolized the playground.
Examples in Context
Here are natural examples showing how the opposite changes with the meaning of share:
- Share → Keep
Maya shared her dessert with her sister instead of keeping it for herself. - Share → Withhold
The company withheld financial information from investors. - Share → Conceal
The witness concealed a crucial detail. - Share → Keep to oneself
He kept his worries to himself rather than sharing them with his friends. - Share → Hoard
During the shortage, some people hoarded food instead of sharing it. - Share → Exclude
The organizers included everyone rather than excluding new participants. - Share → Monopolize
Please share the equipment instead of monopolizing it. - Share → Retain
The company retained the data rather than sharing it with outside organizations.
What Part of Speech Is Share?
Share is primarily a verb when it means giving, dividing, communicating, or using something jointly.
We shared the food.
It can also be a noun:
She owns a share of the company.
The most useful antonyms discussed above are mainly verbs when they directly oppose the verb share:
| Verb | Opposite/contextual contrast |
| share | keep |
| share | withhold |
| share | conceal |
| share | hoard |
| share | monopolize |
| share | exclude |
| share | retain |
The noun share has different meanings, so its opposite also depends on context. For example, share meaning “a portion” does not have one simple universal noun antonym.
Commonly Confused Opposites
Keep vs. Withhold
These words overlap, but they are not identical.
Keep simply means retaining something.
I kept the book.
Withhold suggests deliberately refusing to give something.
The company withheld the report.
Hide vs. Conceal
Both can mean preventing something from being seen or known.
Hide is common in everyday English:
He hid the keys.
Conceal is more formal and often suggests deliberately hiding information or facts:
The report concealed important details.
Hoard vs. Keep
Keep is neutral.
She kept some extra food.
Hoard often suggests accumulating or retaining an excessive amount.
He hoarded food during the shortage.
Exclude vs. Keep
These words can overlap in some contexts but focus on different ideas.
Exclude means leave someone or something out.
Keep can mean retain something or prevent someone from having access.
They excluded him from the meeting.
They kept him out of the meeting.
A Useful Language Tip
When choosing an antonym for share, first ask:
“What is being shared?”
- A physical object → keep
- Information → withhold or conceal
- Feelings → keep to oneself
- Resources → hoard or monopolize
- Participation → exclude
- Joint access → monopolize or separate, depending on the sentence
This simple check helps you choose a natural opposite instead of forcing the same antonym into every context.
Quick Practice
Choose the best opposite of share in each sentence.
1. The company refused to provide the confidential report.
A. Keep
B. Withhold
C. Separate
Answer: B. Withhold
Withhold is the most precise choice because the company deliberately refused to provide information.
2. Tom saved the last piece of cake for himself.
A. Keep
B. Share
C. Exclude
Answer: A. Keep
Here, keep contrasts directly with giving part of something to others.
3. The boy took all the toys and would not let anyone else use them.
A. Monopolize
B. Conceal
C. Retain
Answer: A. Monopolize
Monopolize means taking exclusive control or use and not allowing others a fair opportunity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main antonym of share?
The main antonym of share is keep when share means giving or dividing something with other people. Other opposites, such as withhold, conceal, hoard, and exclude, are more suitable in specific contexts.
Is withhold an antonym of share?
Yes. Withhold can be an antonym of share when share means providing information, money, support, evidence, or another resource. Withhold emphasizes deliberately refusing to provide something.
What is the opposite of sharing information?
The most suitable opposites are withhold and conceal, depending on the meaning. Withhold information means refusing to provide it, while conceal information means deliberately keeping it hidden.
What is the opposite of sharing feelings?
A natural opposite is keep your feelings to yourself. It means choosing not to express or communicate your feelings to other people.
Is hoard a direct antonym of share?
Not in every context. Hoard is a contextual opposite when people accumulate or retain large amounts of something instead of distributing or sharing it. Keep is the more general opposite.
What to Remember
Keep is the clearest general opposite of share, especially when someone retains a possession instead of giving part of it to others.
For more specific meanings:
- Keep → retain something
- Withhold → deliberately refuse to provide something
- Conceal → hide information or facts
- Keep to oneself → avoid sharing personal thoughts or feelings
- Hoard → keep excessive amounts
- Monopolize → take exclusive control or use
- Exclude → leave someone out
The best antonym depends on what “share” means in the sentence.
Antonyms for Interject: 8 Useful Opposites
I am Clara Stephen, passionate about making English simple and easy to understand through clear synonym, antonyms, word comparisons, vocabulary guides, and language tips. Through thoughtful, reliable content, I aim to be a trusted guide for anyone looking to expand their English vocabulary.
