retreat
Americannoun
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retreats
plural
-
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
-
the act of withdrawing, as into safety or privacy; retirement; seclusion.
- Synonyms:
- withdrawal, departure
-
a place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy.
The library was his retreat.
- Synonyms:
- shelter
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an asylum, as for the insane.
-
a retirement or a period of retirement for religious exercises and meditation.
-
Military.
-
a flag-lowering ceremony held at sunset on a military post.
-
the bugle call or drumbeat played at this ceremony.
-
-
the recession of a surface, as a wall or panel, from another surface beside it.
verb (used without object)
-
retreats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
retreated,
past participle, past
-
retreating
present participle
idioms
verb
-
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
-
to retire or withdraw, as to seclusion or shelter
-
(of a person's features) to slope back; recede
-
(tr) chess to move (a piece) back
noun
-
the act of retreating or withdrawing
-
military
-
a withdrawal or retirement in the face of the enemy
-
a bugle call signifying withdrawal or retirement, esp (formerly) to within a defended fortification
-
-
retirement or seclusion
-
a place, such as a sanatorium or monastery, to which one may retire for refuge, quiet, etc
-
a period of seclusion, esp for religious contemplation
-
an institution, esp a private one, for the care and treatment of people who are mentally ill, infirm, elderly, etc
Synonym Usage
See depart.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
retreatsimple
-
retreatssimple
-
have retreatedperfect
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has retreatedperfect
-
am retreatingprogressive
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are retreatingprogressive
-
is retreatingprogressive
-
have been retreatingperfect progressive
-
has been retreatingperfect progressive
Past
-
retreatedsimple
-
had retreatedperfect
-
was retreatingprogressive
-
were retreatingprogressive
-
had been retreatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of retreat
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 )
Explanation
The noun retreat means a place you can go to be alone, to get away from it all. A spot under a shady tree might be your favorite retreat from the sun, or your bedroom in the basement may serve as a retreat from your siblings. In the military sense, the noun retreat means the withdrawal of troops. The British retreat after the Battles of Lexington and Concord gave the American colonists an early taste of victory during the American Revolution. As a verb, retreat means to back out of something — like a lawyer who is forced to retreat from his argument when the opposing evidence is too convincing.
Vocabulary lists containing retreat
Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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"Of Mice and Men"
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"Marriage is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe
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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.
See Examples For:
Trump said at the Oval Office on Wednesday that Secret Service officials first suggested the idea of using the golf club as a presidential retreat, and that he thinks it is "a great idea".
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
McEnroe, who grew up in New York and now lives primarily on the Upper West Side, loves the serenity of his California retreat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
A "pre-COP" meeting began Monday in the climate-vulnerable Pacific with a leaders' retreat in Tuvalu and government meetings in Fiji.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
“The primary suite is a private retreat featuring a fireplace, secluded deck, dual spa-inspired baths, individual walk-in closets, a Sitting Room, and dedicated massage and salon rooms,” the listing adds.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
When we hear his footsteps retreat back down the hall, Miles and I look at each other and burst into laughter.
From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks
They also carry a circular disk attached to the tail that can seal the shell opening like a door when the animal retreats inside.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026
But then he met with the team at Zelinka Parsons, a husband-and-wife consulting business that offers one-on-one counseling and group retreats in Tucson, Ariz., and has worked with Latham for over a decade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
As Wednesday's high retreats eastwards, the next area of low pressure will roll in bringing cloud and rain on Thursday.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
It is, of course, gobstoppingly gorgeous, with Mount Tamalpais, Stinson Beach, Point Reyes and Bolinas practically designed to be edenic retreats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Boys are always staring at her, trying to talk to her, but she’s too shy and instead retreats into our little group of girls.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
The current dispute between China and Taiwan dates to a civil war between the nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek, who retreated to the island in 1949 after being defeated by Mao Zedong's communist fighters.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
U.S. stocks declined as Treasury yields retreated from fresh multidecade highs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Even though crude futures have retreated somewhat from recent highs, the cost of physical oil cargoes remains more elevated, signaling refiners are racing to lock in short-term supplies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield retreated sharply after hitting a new 24-year high near 5.34% this morning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
When she had gone, and his mother had retreated back into her own room, only then did it fully sink in what he had just promised he’d do.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Another witness said Eritrean forces appeared to be retreating north after the strikes, AFP reported.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Treasury yields declined in Asian trade, retreating from Tuesday’s highs, as Federal Reserve speakers mitigated interest-rate hike expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
The major destruction of hydropower infrastructure underscored the risks of that strategy in a region where glaciers are retreating, permafrost is thawing and extreme hazards are becoming harder to predict.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
Yields are down a bit, oil prices are retreating and stock futures are rising to end what has been a tough week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
All she knew was that presently a wave seemed to lift them and carry them swiftly on and then, retreating, leave them on something solid and motionless.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
