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 Your husband has a long history of crossing the line and then retreating back just far enough that there’s an illusion of change. —

R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026 Chrysler, facing financial pressure, rushed to graft increasingly conventional grilles onto the rounded nose, retreating year by year from the very aerodynamic principles that made the car more efficient. —

Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026 Christian mystics throughout the centuries—Smith writes, for instance, of the 16th century’s Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross, among many others—explored the ways in which retreating into solitude or letting the world slip amid silence had the potential to yield profound spiritual insights. —

Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026 Pat Riley is not retiring, resigning or — here’s the relevant point — retreating. —

Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026 According to reports, the roughly 2,900-pound rhino burst from cover and fatally gored him before retreating back into the reserve. —

Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026 On the arm of the sofa, where he had been seated just minutes before retreating into his bedroom for a few minutes of shut-eye, was a block of brown and white ice. —

Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026 Large investors flip to net sellers Larger investors are already retreating from the single-family market. —

Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026 Florida is known for employing a stand-your-ground law, a legal policy that provides residents the option of employing lethal force rather than retreating as a means of self-defense. —

James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreating

Verb

Since 2016, federal officials allege, Meade has been trying to avoid paying the tax obligation through a number of tactics, which include withdrawing large sums of cash and purchasing cashier’s checks from his business accounts.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2026
Legitimate companies do not walk you through withdrawing cash, using crypto ATMs or buying gold to solve a problem.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026