retire
verb (used without object)
to withdraw from one's career, occupation, or office, usually because of age.
was retiring
-
past progressiveof retire.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Working at a car garage aged 17, she was suddenly thrust an envelope to give money for a mechanic who was retiring.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
This week, veteran National Public Radio reporter Nina Totenberg briefly published a story stating that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was retiring.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Piepszak pulled herself out of contention last year, and on Thursday consumer bank head Marianne Lake said she was retiring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Penn appeared as a reptilian lawyer in the 1993 thriller "Carlito's Way," before saying he was retiring from acting to direct, and making 1995's "The Crossing Guard" with Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston.
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026
What did matter, indeed struck most readers as the only thing that truly mattered, was that George Washington was retiring.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
