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duty to retreat

[ doo-tee tuhri-treet, dyoo-tee ]
/ ˈdu ti tə rɪˈtrit, ˈdyu ti /
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noun Law.
a legal principle that requires a person as a first response to back away or flee from a threatening situation rather than attempt self-defense by deadly force: Duty to retreat has always been a debatable doctrine.
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Origin of duty to retreat

First recorded in 1780–90

Words nearby duty to retreat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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