retreat
noun
the forced or strategic withdrawal of an army or an armed force before an enemy, or the withdrawing of a naval force from action.
had retreated
-
past perfectof retreat.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
The S&P 500 had retreated before the current war owing to fears that artificial intelligence could upend software, financial services and more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
The images showed that Hektoria Glacier had retreated dramatically within a short window of time.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 26, 2026
Like other carriers over the past several years, Farmers had retreated from the state’s home insurance market, limiting the number of policies it would issue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2025
Kyiv has not commented, but sources told the BBC that Ukrainian forces had retreated from there.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2024
Alice, holding Lyra, had retreated further up the slope, but the open space was not very large: close-branched holm oaks with spiked leaves crowded in on all sides.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
