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
That may help to explain why premium spirits brands are not retreating in the face of no-and-low.
—
Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 19 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
After the greatest comeback in NBA history, my dad would have rather accidentally sprinkled on the carpet than risk the first Knicks title in 53 years by so selfishly retreating to the bathroom.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 14 June 2026
Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 19 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
After the greatest comeback in NBA history, my dad would have rather accidentally sprinkled on the carpet than risk the first Knicks title in 53 years by so selfishly retreating to the bathroom.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 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.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
-
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.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
Verb
-
Proper told investigators that a group planned to stage a demonstration outside the White House, fly small drones laden with explosives to detonate outside the arena to force the crowd to evacuate, and act as snipers to shoot people fleeing the event.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
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Mangione is accused of stalking Thompson and shooting him in the back outside a Manhattan Hilton hotel, then fleeing to Altoona, Pennsylvania, where he was arrested while eating a McDonald's breakfast.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Silverton has trailblazed a career through the food industry, but has no plans of retiring anytime soon.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
-
In 2018, Rita Ferro succeeded the retiring Erhardt as the ESPN sales boss under a new title (president, Disney ad sales).—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
16 June 2026
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.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
-
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.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC news,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
The fintechs that came through the shakeout in good shape had already built compliance like a product, instead of bolting it on later.—
Agustín Guerra,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
In that short time, shares have risen around 40%, bolting the company's valuation above that of Amazon's.—
Sean Conlon,Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Some were seen walking away after escaping the aircraft.—
Diego Mendoza,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
-
The film centers on three women in a remote Bangladeshi village – blind Momi, schoolgirl Hima, and pregnant Laili – who dream of escaping a world shaped by superstition and religious conservatism, with consequences that grow increasingly dire for each of them.—
Jenny S. Li,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Then Muncy — later replaced by the pinch-running Call — and Ward drew walks.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
Work started on the project in March 2025, focusing on the outfall system running from Phil’s Beach, on Main Street, to Route 176.—
Greg Harutunian,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retreating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retreating. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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