retreat

[ ri-treet ]

noun

1. 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

2. the act of withdrawing, as into safety or privacy; retirement; seclusion.

   Synonyms: withdrawal, departure

3. a place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy:

   The library was his retreat.

   Synonyms: shelter

4. an asylum, as for the insane.
5. a retirement or a period of retirement for religious exercises and meditation.
6. Military.
   1. a flag-lowering ceremony held at sunset on a military post.
   2. the bugle call or drumbeat played at this ceremony.
7. the recession of a surface, as a wall or panel, from another surface beside it.

verb (used without object)

1. to withdraw, retire, or draw back, especially for shelter or seclusion.

   Synonyms: leave

   Antonyms: advance, engage

2. to make a retreat:

   The army retreated.

   Antonyms: advance, engage

3. to slope backward; recede:

   a retreating chin.

4. to draw or lead back.

retreat

/ rɪˈtriːt /

verb

1. 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
2. to retire or withdraw, as to seclusion or shelter
3. (of a person's features) to slope back; recede
4. tr chess to move (a piece) back

noun

1. the act of retreating or withdrawing
2. military
   1. a withdrawal or retirement in the face of the enemy
   2. a bugle call signifying withdrawal or retirement, esp (formerly) to within a defended fortification
3. retirement or seclusion
4. a place, such as a sanatorium or monastery, to which one may retire for refuge, quiet, etc
5. a period of seclusion, esp for religious contemplation
6. an institution, esp a private one, for the care and treatment of people who are mentally ill, infirm, elderly, etc

Other Words From

• re·treatal adjective
• re·treater noun
• re·treative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of retreat¹

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 )

Word History and Origins

Origin of retreat¹

C14: from Old French retret , from retraire to withdraw, from Latin retrahere to pull back; see retract

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. beat a retreat, to withdraw or retreat, especially hurriedly or in disgrace.

More idioms and phrases containing retreat

see beat a retreat .

Synonym Study

See depart.

Example Sentences

My heart stopped as the fish owl pivoted and took to the air in retreat, but the weight of the noose carpet held and drew the bird softly back to ground.

From Popular-Science

Lawful hacking and cyber-espionage have grown enormously as a business over the past decade, with no signs of retreat.

From MIT Technology Review

So far, BDG has created these event kits for its virtual yoga retreat in May that was produced for advertiser Nature’s Way, and for its Self-Care Saturday event this past Saturday that was built with advertiser lip filler brand Restylane Kysse.

From Digiday

Bustle planned to host an afternoon-long yoga retreat in Austin, Texas this spring for vitamin and supplement brand Nature’s Way.

From Digiday

The researchers also found that as the soapy film retreats, soap molecules pack together more tightly.

From Science News For Students

She completed a yoga teacher-training program and, in the spring of 2008, went on a retreat in Peru to study with shamans.

From The Daily Beast

Finally, a squad of reinforcements arrived and they were able to retreat.

From The Daily Beast

Alison, meanwhile, had gone to a yoga retreat with her hippy-dippy mother.

From The Daily Beast

Over 250 were killed before Stirling ordered the final retreat and surrendered himself to the British.

From The Daily Beast

The law professor, Benny Tai, urged the students to “retreat and take the spirit of the Umbrella Movement into the community.”

From The Daily Beast

The engineer officer charged with preparing the line of retreat reported that the one bridge across the Elster was not sufficient.

From Project Gutenberg

When this last shred of hope was gone, the Brigadier reluctantly gave the order to retreat.

From Project Gutenberg

Orlean was regarded as a fairly attractive woman; but her chin, unlike that of the one before him, was inclined to retreat.

From Project Gutenberg

In the retreat across the Niemen he proved himself absolutely incapable of reorganising a beaten force.

From Project Gutenberg

At least, his way of retreat would have remained open, and he might have gone, to return another day with force at his heels.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• haven
• hideaway
• refuge
• resort
• sanctuary
• shelter