duty to retreat

American  

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

noun

Law.

1. 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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Etymology

Origin of duty to retreat

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

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

Missouri’s stand your ground law says that if you are in a place you have the right to be, you don’t have any duty to retreat.

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

Under those circumstances, Brennan said, Dixon was not the initial aggressor and had no duty to retreat before using force to defend himself.

From Washington Post • Feb. 17, 2023