1
as in withdrawal
an act of moving away especially from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable
we made a strategic retreat when we realized that we were outnumbered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in refuge
something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger
her bedroom served as a retreat from the frequent arguing between her parents the abandoned cabin was a welcome retreat from the storm
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to withdraw
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
we retreated to the safety of the cellar at the first sign of the tornado
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to flee
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the untried soldiers retreated in humiliating disarray almost as soon as the enemy's onslaught began
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retreat
Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 11 Mar. 2026
The president dropped by a retreat at his Doral golf club to sell the Iran war and pump up Republican lawmakers ahead of the midterm elections.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2026
Goldman’s baseline forecast has Brent crude averaging $98 per barrel in March and April before retreating to $71 by year-end.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for retreat
Noun
The feature takes place in Utah at a wilderness retreat for teen boys who struggled with addiction.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 11 Mar. 2026
The president dropped by a retreat at his Doral golf club to sell the Iran war and pump up Republican lawmakers ahead of the midterm elections.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
O’Brien has not retreated from public life.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2026
Goldman’s baseline forecast has Brent crude averaging $98 per barrel in March and April before retreating to $71 by year-end.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for retreat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreat
Noun
-
For parents, Robb recommended watching for warning signs, including social withdrawal, declining grades or a growing preference for AI over human interaction.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The device, which is cleared by the FDA for withdrawal mitigation from opioid use disorder, works by abating severe symptoms such as stomach aches, back aches, sweats, and the inability to keep food down, according to George Rizk, an executive board member with NET Recovery.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a briefing on March 6 that about 100,000 people in Lebanon are seeking refuge from attacks in shelters.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
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Instead of acting as a refuge, US government bonds took their cue from surging crude prices and yields shot up, with inflation fears taking center stage at a time when prices are already running higher than central banks would like.—
Michael MacKenzie,
Bloomberg,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Canada and Mexico defended their trilateral trade agreement with the US following Washington’s threats to withdraw from the $2 trillion pact.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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Actor Issa Rae and author Louise Penny also withdrew from appearances while consultants such as musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming resigned.—
Steven Sloan,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Turkey has been further enhancing its border defenses to be able to respond to a potential influx of people fleeing unrest after mass antigovernment protests in Iran were met by a brutal crackdown in January that left thousands dead.—
Serra Yedikardes,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Deputies tried to pull the driver over, but the driver instead chose to flee, and during the chase, the driver allegedly turned his headlights off to try and evade deputies, the sheriff's office said.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Three years ago, JPMorgan Chase executive Doug Petno was at a New York City party celebrating a colleague's retirement when his boss, Jamie Dimon, called Petno over.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2026
-
At her retirement dinner, people got up, one after the other, to pay tribute to her.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Our friends converted their 400-person reception hall wedding into a spirited dance party at their home, with small groups of well-wishers, each small enough to fit into their bomb shelter, taking turns reveling.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
About 120,000 people are in 580 overcrowded shelters with inadequate sanitation.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And that majority shrank further after Greene retired in January, leaving her seat vacant for several months as Congress is at a standstill amid a partial government shutdown.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Liu won the 2025 World title last March, less than a year after returning to the sport after retiring days after the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One diner, who works in the hospitality industry and is flying across the country to attend the pop-up and visit friends, is keeping his seat.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In another set of images by photographer Ian Recchio, who goes by @Lookunderocks on Instagram, another aircraft, described as a business-jet-type platform, was seen flying below the refueling formation.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retreat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retreat. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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