retreat
Americannoun
-
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
-
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)
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
-
has retreatedperfect
-
am retreatingprogressive
-
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:
By the end of the retreat, eight couples have formed, including two matches between event staff and participants.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
NEW YORK—New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said oil prices should eventually retreat and that inflation poses the larger risk to the Fed’s dual mandate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
“A true retreat with the feeling of being out of the city, yet in close proximity to all that Brentwood has to offer,” it concludes.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
The gains eased worries over a tech retreat over the past few weeks amid questions over whether the vast sums pumped into artificial intelligence will see suitable returns.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
When Johnson read this, he asked Pearson to meet him at Camp David, the presidential retreat in rural Maryland.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Buddhism-themed tourism is thriving and tens of thousands of locals and foreigners sign up every year for "temple stay" retreats where they eat simple monastic food, do chores and meditate.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
“An enchanted hideaway in a coveted location with inviting outdoor retreats and peek-a-boo views to downtown Los Angeles create an idyllic setting,” the listing adds.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
To complete the trap, the spider wraps the cone with a thinner type of silk and quickly retreats upward.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
The group, currently numbering 12, envisages growing food to sell, holding workshops and retreats - and even setting up a "granny agency" to look after children.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Knees bent, feet sliding smooth and fluid, Alan quickly retreats.
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
After his shock loss in Paris, Sinner retreated from competitive action and did not play a tournament leading up to Wimbledon.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Many of the bloc’s biggest lenders retreated into their home markets after the 2008 financial crisis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Although crude prices have retreated far below their wartime highs, expanding Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries in recent weeks have helped keep global fuel prices elevated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Prices retreated somewhat throughout June after the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on terms to end the war.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Anya retreated from the railing and Ivan followed her, dashing to where Håkon cowered at the back of the loft.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
But De Ketelaere poked a toe out to knock the ball back to Vanaken, who skipped a shot from about 30 yards past a retreating Ream and into the vacant goal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
It’s clear Microsoft has no intention of retreating, even as the market signals its exhaustion.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
Tech stocks struggled, with the Nasdaq composite retreating 0.4% and Cerebras Systems shares sliding 20% on AI build-out costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
Mr. Christakis defended his wife before a group of angry students for nearly an hour, vigorously disagreeing with them without ever retreating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Cluny’s horde was retreating, back down the road to their camp at St. Ninian’s Church.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
