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 Shy, retreating Minnie was happy to bask in Callie’s light, while Helen’s existence was almost entirely dedicated to her only daughter. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026 The actual battle had ended with Glover’s men retreating across the Hutchinson River. — Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026 French social media users criticized Mbappé for retreating on his comments. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 28 Oct. 2026 The pool is the best spot to take in the sunset before retreating to the open-air dining space for good eats and conversation. — Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2026 Director Mauri Pelto said this year's survey shows the fastest average retreat since 1950 with the collapse of several large ice caves, which form as warm air circulates in retreating glaciers. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026 Many have reacted by retreating, focusing on cultivating niche audiences. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 25 Oct. 2026 Longtime collaborator Erik Blood foregrounds Butler’s dry drum machines in the mix, letting every other element shuffle around them, snaking toward the spotlight for a brief moment and retreating back into the brume. — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026 Moriarty took some time during the book’s tour to tell us about the role destinations play in her work, how the television series’ vision of her book affected the sequel, and her top Sydney spots for writing and retreating. — Olivia Squire, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreating

Verb

The city would also be prohibited from withdrawing more than 50% of the amount of money in the fund unless the mayor certifies that there is a compelling fiscal need.

— Digital Producer, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Uganda is withdrawing troops deployed for years in Somalia under an African Union peacekeeping force that helped repel militants in the Horn of Africa nation, military authorities said on Monday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of withdrawing

Verb

The video shows the man fleeing from the officer, then turning around and starting to chase him, before pointing a weapon in the officer's direction.

— CBS News, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
In the city known as the birthplace of the film industry, Hollywood jobs have been fleeing for years for cheaper locales.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of fleeing

Verb

Mulch cool-season vegetables to delay bolting and keep them producing longer.

— Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 29 Oct. 2026
The companies that capture that value will redesign work around their most creative people, rather than bolting AI onto old processes and counting the empty chairs.

— Jay Kaplan, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of bolting

Verb

The same gas is commonly found escaping from magmatic vents on Earth, with the compound coming from hot magma beneath the surface.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026
The celebrity barn owls’ saga follows in the footsteps of Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl, who captivated the city for a year after escaping from the Central Park Zoo after someone cut a hole through the mesh of his enclosure.

— Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of escaping

Verb

Restart support should cover the actual costs of resuming valuable work, with urgency for long-running studies, irreplaceable biological resources and teams at risk of dispersing.

— Carole LaBonne, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
Independent scrutiny remains PSI said David Turturean led the work, developing the research system, defining the problem and running the process.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026