Electrophilic aromatic substitution is famously affected by EWGs. The effect is transmitted by inductive and resonance effects. Benzene with an EWG typically undergoes electrophilic substitution at meta positions.  Overall the rates are diminished. thus EWGs are called deactivating. 
When it comes to nucleophilic substitution reactions, electron-withdrawing groups are more prone to nucleophilic substitution. For example, chlorodinitrobenzene is far more susceptible to reactions displacing chloride compared to chlorobenzene.