retreat

1 of 2

noun

re·​treat ri-ˈtrēt How to pronounce retreat (audio)
1
a(1)
: an act or process of withdrawing especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable
(2)
: the process of receding from a position or state attained
the retreat of a glacier
b(1)
: the usually forced withdrawal of troops from an enemy or from an advanced position
(2)
: a signal for retreating
c(1)
: a signal given by bugle at the beginning of a military flag-lowering ceremony
(2)
: a military flag-lowering ceremony
2
: a place of privacy or safety : refuge
3
: a period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, study, or instruction under a director

retreat

2 of 2

verb

retreated; retreating; retreats

intransitive verb

1
: to make a retreat : withdraw
2
: to slope backward

transitive verb

: to draw or lead back : remove
specifically : to move (a piece) back in chess
retreater noun
Choose the Right Synonym for retreat

recede, retreat, retract, back mean to move backward.

recede implies a gradual withdrawing from a forward or high fixed point in time or space.

the flood waters gradually receded

retreat implies withdrawal from a point or position reached.

retreating soldiers

retract implies drawing back from an extended position.

a cat retracting its claws

back is used with up, down, out, or off to refer to any retrograde motion.

backed off on the throttle

Examples of retreat in a Sentence

Noun Some of her friends were surprised by her retreat from public life following her defeat in the election. we made a strategic retreat when we realized that we were outnumbered Verb When the enemy attacked, our troops were forced to retreat. They retreated behind trees for safety. He quickly retreated from the room. After her defeat, she retreated from politics.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Shaw drew the connection between 3.14 and March 14 during that retreat, and the first informal Pi Day was celebrated that same year at the museum to honor Oppenheimer's memory. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024 More than 10 years after that high-profile retreat, the shoe is on the other foot, even if the circumstances aren’t exactly the same. Laura He, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Dimon was named Citi’s president following the merger—but a few months later, Weill, who had mentored him for 15 years at this point, asked him to resign during an executive weekend retreat. Byjasmine Li, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 The retreat sits on the rocky shore of Lake Superior, where steady waves provide a soothing soundtrack for on-site activities like yoga and meditation in the Peace Pod or detoxification in the sauna. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2024 In addition to the project presentations, the Austin retreat includes mentor led workshops and Q&A sessions. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Much of the 17 hours on the retreat was devoted to the demo, which included enough steel guitar and Dobro to insert a little Western flare into the mysterious sound. Tom Roland, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 By geologists’ current timeline of Earth’s 4.6-billion-year history, our world right now is in the Holocene, which began 11,700 years ago with the most recent retreat of the great glaciers. Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 The report noted that Americans are increasingly shopping for overseas real estate, whether that’s for tax purposes, a vacation retreat, or a lifestyle change. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
The glaciers retreated around 10,000 years ago, exposing a land bridge between Europe and Britain, and another between Britain and Ireland, allowing easy passage to the islands. Sarah Fecht, Popular Science, 14 Mar. 2024 Gold retreated Wednesday after reaching a fresh record high Monday, when investors flocked to buy stocks of gold producers and jewelers, further boosting the stock prices. Zimo Zhong, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 The Commission threatened an investigation, and Apple retreated. David Meyer, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024 Ali and Abu Reem retreated behind the partition for the second act: a puppet show. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 And on foreign policy, the Alabama senator claimed that the U.S. has retreated on the world stage, allowing adversaries like Russia and Iran to act without repercussions. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 Martinez rushed to the classroom but retreated after he was shot at by the gunman and injured. Ray Sanchez, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 The princess, 42, was last seen in public Dec. 25 at a Christmas Day church service in Sandringham, eastern England, where the royal family often retreats. Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 While interest rates remain at relatively high levels, the Fed is probably finished with its credit tightening cycle, now that the inflation rate has retreated. Marc Cooper, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'retreat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English retret, from Anglo-French retrait, from past participle of retraire to withdraw, from Latin retrahere, from re- + trahere to draw

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of retreat was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near retreat

Cite this Entry

“Retreat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retreat. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

retreat

1 of 2 noun
re·​treat ri-ˈtrēt How to pronounce retreat (audio)
1
a
: an act of going away especially from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable
b
: a military retreat from the enemy
c
: a signal for retreating
2
: a place of privacy or safety : refuge
3
: a period of withdrawal for prayer, meditation, study, or instruction under a director
went on a spiritual retreat

retreat

2 of 2 verb
1
: to make a retreat
2
: to slope backward
retreater noun

Legal Definition

retreat

noun
re·​treat
: the act or process of withdrawing from a dangerous situation

Note: Many jurisdictions require that a person must have at least attempted a retreat, if it was possible to do so with safety, in order for a defense of self-defense to prevail. Retreat from an attack in one's own home, however, is usually not required.

retreat verb

More from Merriam-Webster on retreat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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