re-treat
- to treat again.
Origin of re-treat
retreat
- the forced or strategic withdrawal of an army or an armed force before an enemy, or the withdrawing of a naval force from action.
- the act of withdrawing, as into safety or privacy; retirement; seclusion.
- a place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy: The library was his retreat.
- 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.
- to withdraw, retire, or draw back, especially for shelter or seclusion.
- to make a retreat: The army retreated.
- to slope backward; recede: a retreating chin.
- to draw or lead back.
- beat a retreat, to withdraw or retreat, especially hurriedly or in disgrace.
Origin of retreat
Synonyms for retreat
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comSynonym study
Antonyms for retreat
Related Words for retreating
reverse, depart, backtrack, retire, recede, evacuate, leave, abandon, withdraw, escape, go, hide, reel, shrink, relinquish, quit, run, ebb, resign, avoidExamples from the Web for retreating
Contemporary Examples of retreating
Hamdan also appears to be retreating when the lethal shot is fired.
For retreating in 1999, Sharif was overthrown in a coup by the army commander, Pervez Musharraf, who had planned the Kargil War.
And President Obama has caused more carnage in Iraq by retreating than other presidents caused by invading.
If opponents of gay rights are supposed to be retreating into oblivion, they missed the memo.
Batman resents Superman for disbanding the Justice League and retreating into isolating.
Historical Examples of retreating
A blind man might have followed the trail of the retreating army.
In the Midst of AlarmsRobert Barr
Margaret stood in the doorway, listening to the retreating footsteps.
In the Midst of AlarmsRobert Barr
"I don't think they'll keep on retreating forever, Ohio," he said.
The Rock of ChickamaugaJoseph A. Altsheler
But Grant, as Colonel Woodville foresaw, had no idea of retreating.
The Rock of ChickamaugaJoseph A. Altsheler
The Marquis looked that way, and listened for the retreating step of his valet.
A Tale of Two CitiesCharles Dickens
retreat
- 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
- 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
Word Origin for retreat
Word Origin and History for retreating
retreat
c.1300, "a step backward;" late 14c., "act of retiring or withdrawing; military signal for retiring from action or exercise," from Old French retret, noun use of past participle of retrere "draw back," from Latin retrahere "draw back, withdraw, call back," from re- "back" (see re-) + trahere "to draw" (see tract (n.1)). Meaning "place of seclusion" is from early 15c.; sense of "establishment for mentally ill persons" is from 1797. Meaning "period of retirement for religious self-examination" is from 1756.
retreat
early 15c., "to draw in, draw back, leave the extremities," from retreat (n.) and in part from Old French retret, past participle of retrere. Meaning "to fall back from battle" is mid-15c. Related: Retreated; retreating.
Idioms and Phrases with retreating
retreat
see beat a retreat.