duty to retreat

American

[doo-tee tuh ri-treet, dyoo-tee] / ˈdu ti tə rɪˈtrit, ˈdju ti /

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.

Etymology

Origin of duty to retreat

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Under stand-your-ground laws, a person no longer had the duty to retreat in any place they were legally allowed to be.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

Yes, you also had a duty to retreat if you could do it in the utmost safety.

From Slate • Apr. 25, 2023

“Under regular self-defense, a person has a duty to retreat if someone is threatening to use force against you,” said Peter Joy, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2023

Stand your ground laws echo the common law "castle doctrine" principle, which does not carry a "duty to retreat" when a person feels they must defend their home.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2023

“We understand the duty to retreat, but there is no duty when it is unsafe, or the avenue to escape is unknown.”

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023