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 )

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.

Example Sentences

Chopra added that he would also be leading a weeklong retreat that June at a Canadian resort — he wrote “Bamf,” presumably meaning Banff, Alberta — and said, “The girls might enjoy it.”

From Salon • May 19, 2026

“Evoking the ambiance of a secluded European retreat, the home seamlessly blends luxury, nature, and craftsmanship.”

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

Future retreat is expected to continue more slowly as the glacier loses mass and elevation.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

Dunning State Farm for minor lapses may also spur other insurers to retreat from the state.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Then they’d retreat to Jim’s apartment and talk some more.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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