retreat

[ri-treet]

noun

1. the forced or strategic withdrawal of an army or an armed force before an enemy, or the withdrawing of a naval force from action.

   Antonyms: advance

2. the act of withdrawing, as into safety or privacy; retirement; seclusion.

   Synonyms: withdrawal, departure

3. a place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy.

   The library was his retreat.

   Synonyms: shelter

4. an asylum, as for the insane.

5. a retirement or a period of retirement for religious exercises and meditation.

6. Military.

   1. a flag-lowering ceremony held at sunset on a military post.

   2. the bugle call or drumbeat played at this ceremony.

7. the recession of a surface, as a wall or panel, from another surface beside it.

verb (used without object)

1. to withdraw, retire, or draw back, especially for shelter or seclusion.

   Synonyms: leave
   Antonyms: advance, engage

2. to make a retreat.

   The army retreated.

   Antonyms: advance, engage

3. to slope backward; recede.

   a retreating chin.

4. to draw or lead back.

retreat

/ rɪˈtriːt /

verb

1. military to withdraw or retire in the face of or from action with an enemy, either due to defeat or in order to adopt a more favourable position

2. to retire or withdraw, as to seclusion or shelter

3. (of a person's features) to slope back; recede

4. (tr) chess to move (a piece) back

noun

1. the act of retreating or withdrawing

2. military

   1. a withdrawal or retirement in the face of the enemy

   2. a bugle call signifying withdrawal or retirement, esp (formerly) to within a defended fortification

3. retirement or seclusion

4. a place, such as a sanatorium or monastery, to which one may retire for refuge, quiet, etc

5. a period of seclusion, esp for religious contemplation

6. an institution, esp a private one, for the care and treatment of people who are mentally ill, infirm, elderly, etc

Other Word Forms

• retreatal adjective
• retreater noun
• retreative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of retreat¹

First recorded in 1300–50; (for the noun) Middle English retret, from Old French, variant of retrait, noun use of past participle of retraire “to draw back,” from Latin retrahere ( retract ¹ ); (for the verb) late Middle English retreten, from Middle French retraitier, from Latin retractāre “to reconsider, withdraw” ( retract ² )

Word History and Origins

Origin of retreat¹

C14: from Old French retret , from retraire to withdraw, from Latin retrahere to pull back; see _retract

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. beat a retreat, to withdraw or retreat, especially hurriedly or in disgrace.

see beat a retreat.

Synonym Study

See depart.

Example Sentences

Since coming to office this year, the US vice president has repeatedly criticised measures like the UK's Online Safety Act and claimed free speech in Europe was "in retreat".

From BBC

If this initial pressure is unsuccessful, they drop into a more compact shape in the middle before retreating to their own third.

From BBC

She said his autism and isolation could have facilitated his retreat into the online world and his fixation with violence and weapons.

From BBC

The footage shows McCartney retreating to Scotland with his family and offers what Huntsinger describes as a revelatory glimpse at a less-mythologized moment.

From Los Angeles Times

In “Dark Wolf,” there’s an unexpected shootout in which Ben’s team must retreat from an ambush under heavy fire.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abandon 
• back down 
• back off 
• backtrack 
• depart 
• escape 
• evacuate 
• fall back 
• go 
• go back 
• hide 
• leave 
• pull out 
• recede 
• reel 
• retire 
• reverse 
• shrink 
• withdraw