View synonyms for

retreat

[ ri-treet ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

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:
the act of withdrawing, as into safety or privacy; retirement; seclusion.
Synonyms: ,
a place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy:
The library was his retreat.
Synonyms:
an asylum, as for the insane.
a retirement or a period of retirement for religious exercises and meditation.
Military.
1. a flag-lowering ceremony held at sunset on a military post.
2. the bugle call or drumbeat played at this ceremony.
the recession of a surface, as a wall or panel, from another surface beside it.

verb (used without object)

to withdraw, retire, or draw back, especially for shelter or seclusion.
Synonyms:
Antonyms: ,
to make a retreat:
The army retreated.
Antonyms: ,
to slope backward; recede:
a retreating chin.
to draw or lead back.

retreat

/ ��ɪˈ�ٰ��ː�� /

verb

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

noun

the act of retreating or withdrawing
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
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

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Other Word Forms

��·�ٰ��𲹳�a�� adjective
��·�ٰ��𲹳�İ� noun
��·�ٰ��𲹳�i�� adjective

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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 ��ٰ�� “to reconsider, withdraw” ( retract ² )

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Word History and Origins

Origin of retreat¹

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

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

More idioms and phrases containing retreat

see beat a retreat .

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Synonym Study

See depart.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

In the face of febrile bond markets, this week the faint sound of the bugle of retreat on the US trade war got louder.

From

Reverting to the national system by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, which California has used since 1972, would be a major retreat for the embattled State Bar.

From

Ukrainian forces have been in retreat in Kursk in recent months, facing 70,000 Russian troops and heavy drone attacks as part of Russia's drive to regain the territory.

From

These days, the group’s number have dwindled, but some followers still live near the retreat, and adherents of the faith and their families visit in the summer for spiritual conclaves.

From

"We are trying to get the site to a phase called 'safe store', which means a lot of dismantling, demolition, carefully decontaminating items on site and then retreating the site back to a safe store."

From

Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

re-tread re-treat

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