1
as in withdrew
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fled
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of retreated
On her island home in the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, the shoreline has visibly retreated within her short lifetime, with beaches eroded, coastal trees uprooted and some homes now barely 3 feet from the sea at high tide.
—
CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
The real horror in Frankenstein was a brilliant man who unleashed power and retreated from accountability.
—Tom Debley, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Pine Island Glacier retreated more than 20 miles, Thwaites Glacier retreated more than 16 miles, and Smith Glacier retreated 26 miles.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026
In that area, several ice shelves collapsed before the study period and multiple glaciers have since retreated significantly, but researchers lack clear evidence that warm ocean water is driving the change.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Ray witnessed the suspect, who retreated to his apartment after the slaying, being taken into custody hours later.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Back in September of 2022, when Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96, her son retreated to his home in Gloucestershire to process the loss.
—Elle Meier, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026
Part of the answer, one suspects, was right there in Traverse City, where this politician, now midcareer, has retreated to live a simple American life.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
That’s double the number recorded in 2021, when the US retreated from Kabul and the Afghan Taliban returned to power.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
The real horror in Frankenstein was a brilliant man who unleashed power and retreated from accountability.
—Tom Debley, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Pine Island Glacier retreated more than 20 miles, Thwaites Glacier retreated more than 16 miles, and Smith Glacier retreated 26 miles.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026
In that area, several ice shelves collapsed before the study period and multiple glaciers have since retreated significantly, but researchers lack clear evidence that warm ocean water is driving the change.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Ray witnessed the suspect, who retreated to his apartment after the slaying, being taken into custody hours later.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Back in September of 2022, when Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96, her son retreated to his home in Gloucestershire to process the loss.
—Elle Meier, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026
Part of the answer, one suspects, was right there in Traverse City, where this politician, now midcareer, has retreated to live a simple American life.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
That’s double the number recorded in 2021, when the US retreated from Kabul and the Afghan Taliban returned to power.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreated
Verb
-
His son withdrew from high school.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Following the caller's instructions, the victim withdrew cash from her bank account and deposited it via several Bitcoin ATM transactions.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Between 600,000 and 1 million households have been displaced within the country, most of which have fled from Tehran and other urban areas and gone to the north or to rural areas, the agency said.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
-
After losing the Chinese Civil War to Mao and his Communist forces, the Nationalist government and its supporters fled in 1949 to the island of Taiwan and continued to rule as the Republic of China’s government in exile.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Center Tyler Linderbaum, who made the Pro Bowl three times in four years after the Ravens picked him in the first round in 2022, bolted to Las Vegas.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Ye bolted at the door, stopping only a couple of seconds at the sidewalk to sign a pair of sneakers for a fan who’d been waiting outside all day.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nikki and Scott Hanger also barely escaped the tornado’s path, their daughter-in-law Jill Hanger said Wednesday afternoon.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The two children, ages 10 and 8, escaped the March 2 encounter in the 17000 block of County Road 97 and told their parents, who called authorities, sheriff’s officials said.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ben Wang delivers a breakthrough performance in the title role as a kid who tries to conquer his anxiety issues head-on by running for class president.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
That significantly lowers the bill for users running OpenClaw.—
Evelyn Cheng,Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retreated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retreated. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
