to retreat
- verb
- /rɪˈtriːt/
- As the situation worsened, the troops were ordered to retreat from the battlefield.
- forced to retreat
- retreat from a position
- advance and retreat
She ends up having to retreat, though not surrender.
- She ends up having to retreat, though not surrender.
- As long as you're pursuing and he's retreating, you've got to retreat.
- We are now retreating in all of those areas.
- They opened his mail, he had to retreat to a different address.
- When that happens, it's not time to judge or retreat, but to lend a hand.
- Just because a guy is kind of retreating, that can be strategy.
- But he's also trying to retreat into his identity.
- The day the day that I've retreated and retracted my little baby comments.
- Don't retreat just to your books.
- They've retreated from that life in any case.
Examples
-
So the enemy would do well to retreat back into the circle.
-
The English army, meanwhile, had retreated to Castle La Roque.
-
We will not break, we will not retreat, we will not give up.
-
I can do what everyone else is doing and retreat and wait it out.
-
We are now retreating in all of those areas.
-
The Southern army facing Chattanooga is ordered to retreat.
-
At a time of stress, he'd retreat to the familiar.
-
But since her mother's death the previous month, she had retreated to her bedroom.
Fiction book (1991) -
After a brief clash, the entire force retreats back towards the Roman camp.
-
Where's Silver? Silver had retreated to the street, and Rachel had to go retrieve her.
Fiction book (1990)
Synonyms
To go away from a place, person, or group
To leave a place or person and go somewhere else
Leave a person, place, or situation without taking part anymore
To stop taking part in a place or activity
Move away from someone, or stop taking part in something
To move people out of a place because it is dangerous, for example during a fire
To step away to an earlier place
To stop being involved in an activity or agreement
To escape from people who are holding you, often by force
To move yourself and things backward from a place, person, or situation
To get away from a person, place, or situation that causes trouble
To go out of a place or leave a situation
To move away from people or a place to create space
Decide not to do something you promised to do
Stop supporting or taking part in a plan because you feel unsure
To move back to a safer place when facing danger
Move away from people to a quieter place
To move back or become less strong
Leave a place because it is dangerous or officials tell you to
To move backwards away from something because of fear or surprise
Leave a place quickly because you are in a hurry
To move back from a place or position, often to a safer spot
To back out of a promise or agreement
To leave a place quickly to avoid danger or trouble
To move quietly to the side and away so people do not notice you
To try to avoid doing something you promised or agreed to do
Take back a promise or support you gave
To stop trying and leave a situation quietly
Antonyms
Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
How Withdrawn
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Retreat comes from the parts re- 'back' and tract 'to pull', as in tractor. So to retreat is to 'pull back', which is why it means to move back or withdraw from a place or situation.