1
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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Recent Examples of retreating
The nationalism is real too, but a man flying his country’s flag in a stranger’s city is not retreating into his nation.
—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Because of Oracle’s retreating stock price, Ellison has been surpassed on the world’s list of wealthiest people by Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Michael Dell.
—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
26 June 2026
But retreating indoors can come at a cost.
—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Instead of retreating, the team pushed harder.
—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Georgia Republican leaders won’t redraw the state’s political maps during a special legislative session that starts Wednesday, retreating from a proposal that had threatened to ignite one of the state’s most explosive political fights ahead of the November election.
—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
But then, like debris from an exploding Starship rocket, shares started to fall — retreating all the way back to around $200 by the close of the day.
—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
17 June 2026
The King and Queen then gave one last round of waves before retreating into the Centre Room of the palace as the Prince and Princess of Wales, their children, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and more royal family members followed behind.
—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Police repeatedly drove the wild fans off of the buses, but without enough manpower to make arrests, would then back off, retreating to the nearby intersection, each time after which the fans again swarmed the vehicles.
—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Because of Oracle’s retreating stock price, Ellison has been surpassed on the world’s list of wealthiest people by Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Michael Dell.
—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
26 June 2026
But retreating indoors can come at a cost.
—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Instead of retreating, the team pushed harder.
—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Georgia Republican leaders won’t redraw the state’s political maps during a special legislative session that starts Wednesday, retreating from a proposal that had threatened to ignite one of the state’s most explosive political fights ahead of the November election.
—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
But then, like debris from an exploding Starship rocket, shares started to fall — retreating all the way back to around $200 by the close of the day.
—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
17 June 2026
The King and Queen then gave one last round of waves before retreating into the Centre Room of the palace as the Prince and Princess of Wales, their children, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and more royal family members followed behind.
—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Police repeatedly drove the wild fans off of the buses, but without enough manpower to make arrests, would then back off, retreating to the nearby intersection, each time after which the fans again swarmed the vehicles.
—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreating
Verb
-
While conventional wisdom had long been that consumers should build up a certain level of savings — six months' worth of living expenses, for example — those who study the accounts now consider saving to be a dynamic process of paying in, withdrawing, and then replenishing.
-
The military held a similar security strip from 1985 until 2000, before withdrawing after years of steady casualties, a toll that is accumulating once again.
Verb
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In addition to a felony charge of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer in a motor vehicle, the man also faces a misdemeanor battery charge, according to online Ada County Jail records.
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The evidence included surveillance video of Anthony fleeing the bleachers after the stabbing, body camera footage of his confession during arrest and photographs of the knife used.
Verb
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Matthews responded by retiring Tommy Edman for the first time in three at-bats and striking out backup catcher Chuckie Robinson.
-
In the 7th Congressional District, Mamdani is backing Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, who is vying to take over retiring Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez's seat.
Verb
-
Anthony Maglione was flying from Pittsburgh to Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, via Philadelphia on March 16 and started having issues soon after his first flight.
-
Federal prosecutors have said conspirators in the alleged plot discussed flying drones loaded with explosives over the event and then shooting into the fleeing crowd.
Verb
-
This can include not coming when called, digging under or going over a fence, or simply bolting.
-
Redesign the workflow around the agent rather than bolting the agent onto the existing process.
Verb
-
Engineers have been trying to capture this escaping waste heat and turn it back into electricity using thermoelectric devices.
-
The current population is a result of the toads escaping or being released by importers during the 1950s and ‘60s, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Verb
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There was some buzz that the Colombia charms were running low or (gasp) extinguished, but Castaneda and Venecia were there for Portugal charms to match their jerseys.
-
An immigrant from the Dominican Republic, Quezada had toiled 18 hours a day running a bodega in New Jersey.
Cite this Entry
“Retreating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retreating. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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