RETREATING Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

retreating

verb

present participle of retreat

as in withdrawing

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fleeing

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 retreating The pope paused for a moment and waved to the crowd before retreating into his apartment in the Apostolic Palace. — Colleen Barry, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 In a world riven by democratic backsliding and polluted with AI slop, there’s something seductive about the idea of retreating to a wild, unnavigable place where no one can follow you—because you’ll be submerged up to your eyeballs. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026 Moderate temperatures next week Temperatures will slowly moderate as the cool air mass begins retreating. — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 Rivera said officials had received reports of the retreating shoreline in Chiriquí and Veraguas and were coordinating surveillance with Panama’s maritime authorities and security agencies. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 Still, following the victory, Johnson quickly opened the door to the idea of Keenum retreating into a backup role behind Bagent. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 Gabriel Moreno hit an RBI single in the fourth and, after Kyle Hart walked the bases loaded in the sixth, Perdomo cleared them with a double that bounced off the glove of retreating center fielder Jackson Merrill and then off the padded fence. — ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026 The brand has been retreating by the month back to its roots in Florida. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026 In doing so, Congress would be retreating from the notion that Medicare can control how many services physicians provide on a national basis, an idea that has undergirded Medicare’s doctor payments for decades. — John Wilkerson, STAT, 24 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreating

Verb

In these situations, withdrawing into a literal or symbolic dark room—avoiding sources of stress and going to a safe place—can be adaptive in the short term.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
After two decades of war, the US military was withdrawing from Afghanistan, and Kabul was falling.

— Azadeh Moaveni, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of withdrawing

Verb

Instead of stopping to help Batani-Khalfani, police alleged that Cardenas continued driving, fleeing the scene of the hit-and-run crash.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Hollywood jobs have been fleeing for years for cheaper filming locales, and the restaurant industry has been shaken by mounting closures.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of fleeing

Verb

Both Collins and Manchin — who represented deep-red West Virginia in the Senate before leaving the Democratic Party and retiring in 2024 — have a history of clashing with their respective parties.

— Taurean Small, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Outgoing ranking members Angie Craig of Minnesota and Nydia Velázquez of New York are also behind, though retiring members and frontliners generally don’t pay dues in full.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of retiring

Verb

Captured on video surveillance cameras, the three thieves were seen grabbing hundreds of trading cards and bolting from the shop in less than 10 minutes.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Instead of bolting off the line when the gun sounded, Garret, Retzlaff and about a dozen other girls walked a few meters and then left the course, while the male athlete took off.

— Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of bolting

Verb

And announcing a move is not the same thing as escaping the tax.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
The court found that the directive to fast to death was implemented by targeting children first, while guards were deployed to prevent them from escaping, beating those who attempted to escape or eat.

— Evelyne Musambi, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of escaping

Verb

Every summer, the state plays host to the largest, longest-running citizen bike tour in the world.

— Washington Post, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2026
This seems like a perfectly reasonable debate/dialogue/deliberation to have without everybody--well, most bodies--running for the exits.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026