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 James survived the shooting, but is shown retreating back to his car while losing blood. — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026 The outlet claimed that, while Beatrice was focused on supporting her family, Edo was retreating into his work. — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026 Gen Z isn’t retreating from capitalism or from spending broadly. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026 Record-low water levels along the Danube River have exposed dozens of German military shipwrecks near the Serbian town of Prahovo, where an estimated 200 vessels were deliberately scuttled by retreating Nazi forces in 1944. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026 Surveillance video recovered by police showed the two men fighting in an alley and then Britt retreating from Fitzsimmons, according to the charging document. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 The Royals standout misplayed the ball — coming in initially — before retreating toward the warning track. — Kansas City Star, 2 Aug. 2026 In between, retreating to an expansive suite with panoramic Aegean views, seemingly carved into the island’s eroded rock formations, can feel like its own kind of thrill. — Melinda Sheckells, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Icelandic poet, novelist and essayist Andri Snær Magnason was tasked with commemorating Ok, his words etched into copper and fastened to rock uncovered by the glacier’s retreating ice. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreating

Verb

Trump announced last month that there had been a breakthrough in his plan to end the war, with Israeli forces withdrawing as Hamas disarms and an International Stabilization Force working with a new Palestinian police force to secure the enclave.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
The list includes measures such as an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdrawing military forces and permanently ending the war.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of withdrawing

Verb

An Aurora man accused of killing a female bicyclist in Hampshire with his pickup truck and then fleeing the scene has been charged with felony failure to report a crash resulting in a death, officials said.

— Elgin Courier-News, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Key Background Reiner was accused of fatally stabbing his parents at their home in December and was arrested that same day after fleeing.

— Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of fleeing

Verb

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was on the other plane flying with the president, sources said.

— Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Patrick Gotwalt was a passenger on the flight and recorded a video showing flames coming from the engine as the flight appears to be flying over water.

— Amanda Jackson, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of flying

Verb

That work is arguably getting harder as chief executives stay in the job longer, causing their possible successors to get restless; some are bolting to jobs elsewhere or retiring themselves.

— Phil Wahba, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
To save the cost and effort of pumping millions of liters of seawater solely to obtain minerals, the researchers propose bolting modular reactors onto coastal desalination plants, which already move enormous quantities of the stuff.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 July 2026

Definition of bolting

Verb

Charging documents said both suspects were then seen on video running into a nearby home before eventually escaping through the back of the house.

— Adam Thompson, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
In defiance of Pacho’s tight hold, Madjo shrugged the Ecuador international, escaping behind and emphatically volleying into the roof of the net.

— Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of escaping

Verb

Maher Assad was a former commander of the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division - which Syrian opposition activists have accused of killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, in addition to running its own detention centers.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
This strategic move aims to provide enterprises with a unified solution for finding, running, authorizing, and auditing AI agent tools, crucial for production deployments.

— Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026