RETREATS Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

retreats 1 of 2

noun

plural of retreat

as in withdrawals

an act of moving away especially from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable we made a strategic retreat when we realized that we were outnumbered

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in refuges

something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger her bedroom served as a retreat from the frequent arguing between her parents the abandoned cabin was a welcome retreat from the storm

Synonyms & Similar Words

retreats

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of retreat

as in withdraws

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in flees

to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening the untried soldiers retreated in humiliating disarray almost as soon as the enemy's onslaught began

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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 retreats

Noun

On Bazaruto and Benguerra islands, ultra-luxe retreats have quietly welcomed in-the-know travelers in recent years, as Mozambique's tourism has steadily increased. —

Ali Pantony, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2026 From the coastal cliffs of Costa Rica to open-air Indonesian retreats, luxury villa rentals span locales and design sensibilities—if something rustic and Tuscan is not for you, something modernist and Mexican just may be. —

Angela Tafoya, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2026 Guests can choose to settle in cliffside retreats or at the tip of the peninsula, where three show-stopping villas include dedicated butler service and terraces with a grill and private pool. —

Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026 The picturesque mountain retreats ranked high in the magazine’s 2026 South’s Best Awards, highlighting the region’s most popular restaurants, resorts, golf courses and more — as rated by readers. —

Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2026 According to By the Sea’s website, the company owns seven Panama City Beach beachfront hotels, two group retreats and two beachfront restaurants. —

David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026 Some Singaporean businesses run offshore manufacturing operations in Batam, while others send staff to the island for meetings or corporate retreats, Tan said. —

Sydney Goh, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026 That total wasn’t built on epic reading binges or monastic retreats. —

Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026 Unseasonably warm weather patterns, including the unprecedented heat wave in March, have driven rattlesnakes out of their winter retreats in search of food and mates a month ahead of the typical start of rattlesnake season, Taylor said. —

Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026

Verb

As tensions escalate into violence, Tina retreats into the basement, seeking refuge from the chaos above. —

Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026 The unconscious Moon retreats through your 12th House of Peace, trining take-charge Saturn in your 4th House of Care along the way. —

Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2026 By Saturday night, geomagnetic activity weakens and retreats north, making aurora visibility in Iowa unlikely or very limited. —

Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 20 Mar. 2026 After a painful breakup, college junior Blake Logan retreats to her family's lake house in Tahoe and meets Wyatt Graham. —

Jessica Moore, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026 Around the world, spas are often physically inaccessible, retreats off-limits by design, and practitioners limited in their ability and training to see disabled bodies as deserving of the restoration everyone so desperately needs. —

Sophie Morgan, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Mar. 2026 Maybe not too long from now the Black Forest that yielded these clocks, their design and function, will again exist only in the space to which the cuckoo retreats. —

Kendra Atleework, Longreads, 12 Mar. 2026 But the novel ultimately retreats from these complicating questions. —

Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026 But the novel ultimately retreats from these complicating questions. —

Sarah Chihaya, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreats

Noun

Brickner didn’t say yes or no to further withdrawals, but said the money must be handled very carefully.

— Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Plus, most beneficiaries who inherit traditional retirement accounts must liquidate them within 10 years and withdrawals are taxed, but no Roth withdrawals, even by heirs, is ever taxed.

— Medora Lee, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026