retreat
[verb]
Synonyms:
- withdraw, back away, back off, depart, draw back, fall back, go back, leave, pull back
[noun]
Synonyms:
- withdrawal, departure, evacuation, flight, retirement
- refuge, haven, hideaway, sanctuary, seclusion, shelter

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Antonyms: advance, attack
Contrasted words: advance, move, proceed, progress
Related Idioms: beat a retreat, drop back, give ground, give way, sound a retreat
Related Words: quail, recoil, shrink, abandon, depart, evacuate, go, leave, pull out, quit, vacate, decamp, escape, flee, fly, back down, back out, bow out, climb down

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. re‧treat¹ /rɪˈtriːt/ verb [intransitive]

1. ARMY to move away from the enemy after being defeated in battle Antonym : advance:
The rebels retreated to the mountains.
They were attacked and forced to retreat.

2. MOVE BACK written
a) to move away from someone or something:
He saw her and retreated, too shy to speak to her.
retreat to/from/into etc
Perry lit the fuse and retreated to a safe distance.
It was not a conscious choice to retreat from public life.
b) if an area of water, snow, or land retreats, it gradually gets smaller:
The flood waters are slowly retreating.

3. CHANGE YOUR MIND written to decide not to do something you were planning to do, because it was unpopular or too difficult
retreat from
The Canadian government has retreated from a plan to kill 300 wolves.

4. QUIET PLACE to go away to a place that is quiet or safe
retreat from/into/to
After the noise of the city he was glad to retreat to his hotel room.

5. retreat into yourself/your shell/fantasy etc to ignore what is happening around you and give all your attention to your private thoughts

6. FINANCE technical if shares etc retreat, their value falls to a lower level

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. retreat² noun
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: retret, from retraire 'to withdraw', from Latin retrahere; ⇒ retract]

1. OF AN ARMY [uncountable and countable] a movement away from the enemy after a defeat in battle Antonym : advance:
Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow
The rebel forces are in full retreat (=retreating very fast).
The bugler sounded the retreat (=gave a loud signal for retreat).

2. MOVEMENT BACK [singular, uncountable] a movement away from someone or something
retreat from
Ten thousand years ago the ice began its retreat from Scotland.

3. beat a retreat informal to leave a place quickly:
I saw my aunt coming and beat a hasty retreat.

4. CHANGE OF INTENTION [singular, uncountable] when you change your mind about something because your idea was unpopular or too difficult
retreat from
a retreat from hard-line policies

5. PLACE [countable] a place you can go to that is quiet or safe:
a country retreat

6. THOUGHT AND PRAYER [uncountable and countable] a period of time that you spend praying or studying religion in a quiet place
on (a) retreat
I spent three weeks on retreat in Scotland.

7. FINANCE [singular, uncountable] technical a situation in which the value of shares etc falls to a lower level

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

retreat
noun
I. retreating/leaving
ADJ. hasty, headlong, rapid I decided to beat a hasty retreat.
humiliating, ignominious, undignified | dignified, orderly, strategic, tactful, tactical I made a tactful retreat before they started arguing.
VERB + RETREAT beat, make | lead | order, sound | force/send/throw sb into Eventually the police forced the crowd into retreat.
block, cut off | cover We covered his retreat with bursts of gunfire.
PREP. in ~ The enemy was now in retreat.
on the ~ fresh evidence that trade unionism is on the retreat
~ from He took part in the retreat from Paris.
~ into her retreat into a fantasy world of her own
~ to an ignominious retreat to the River Vistula
PHRASES be in full retreat On the eastern front the army was in full retreat.
a line of retreat We succeeded in cutting off the enemy's line of retreat.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

retreat
II. quiet and private place
ADJ. favourite, perfect the perfect retreat for a romantic honeymoon
private, secret | peaceful | country, rural designed as a gentleman's country retreat
summer, winter | holiday, weekend
VERB + RETREAT turn sth into, use sth as She plans to use it as a winter retreat.
go into He went into retreat at his country home to escape the attention of the media.
PREP. ~ for a summer retreat for the rich
~ from staying here at his secret retreat from life in the busy city

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

retreat
III. private time at a quiet place
ADJ. religious, spiritual
VERB + RETREAT go on She goes on a spiritual retreat for two weeks every summer.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

retreat
verb
ADV. hastily, quickly, rapidly, swiftly | further | back He retreated hastily back to his car.
VERB + RETREAT try to | order sb to The army was ordered to retreat.
PREP. before They retreated before the Americans.
behind He retreated behind the table.
from, in the face of He retreated in the face of strong opposition.
into He retreated into his own world.
to She retreated from the busy office to her own room.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

retreat
rɪˈtri:t
See: beat a retreat

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲