retreat

American  

[ri-treet] / rɪˈtrit /

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.

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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.

idioms

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

retreat British  

/ 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

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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

retreat More Idioms  

1. see beat a retreat.

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Related Words

See depart.

Other Word Forms

• retreatal adjective
• retreater noun
• retreative adjective

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 )

Example Sentences

Will WSJ’s House of the Month for March be a hillside retreat in California wine country, a church-turned-home in New York or a New Jersey mansion built for a Revolutionary War general?

From The Wall Street Journal

Even if oil retreats to well below $100 a barrel and the effects of tariffs moderate, inflation is unlikely to return to the Fed’s 2% annual inflation target for at least a few years.

From Barron's

Nonetheless, the broader market tone remains positive heading into the Wednesday session, with Brent crude prices retreating firmly below the $100 mark, and last pegged at $95 a barrel, and stock futures powering higher.

From Barron's

“But, so far, there is no sign of such a retreat,” Higgins said.

From Barron's

High housing costs and mortgage have caused many house hunters to retreat, creating an imbalance of buyers and sellers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• abandon
• back down
• back off
• backtrack
• depart
• escape
• evacuate
• fall back
• go
• go back
• hide
• leave
• pull out
• recede
• reel
• retire
• reverse
• shrink
• withdraw