made/beat a hasty retreat

idiom

: to leave quickly
He made/beat a hasty retreat when he realized he had entered the wrong office.

Examples of made/beat a hasty retreat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
About a third of those who do imagine enjoying a retired life beat a hasty retreat. Christina Binkley, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2024 The perpetrators, a group of Irish Republican Army foot soldiers, beat a hasty retreat for a small village, Glencolmcille in County Donegal. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024 The soldiers loosed a volley or two of musket fire at the mass of agitated native inhabitants and made a hasty retreat to their longboat. Adam Goodheart, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2023 One recent morning, the Buhay’s crew was sent on a mission to bust Russian fortifications in the countryside areas near the only highway the Ukrainians can use to enter Bakhmut — or beat a hasty retreat. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2023 But after that language leaked to The New York Times, the Republican administration of President George H.W. Bush beat a hasty retreat. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 21 Feb. 2023 Of course, Aemond is never one to turn down the opportunity to make a scene, and so even while Lucerys kept trying to beat a hasty retreat, the Targaryen prince insisted on resurrecting some years-old beef: his eye. Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 27 Oct. 2022 Civilians and soldiers were tortured on Parkova Street, according to the Ukrainian police investigators now combing the towns and villages from which Russian forces beat a hasty retreat last month. Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2022 The company beat a hasty retreat from breakfast, then tried and pulled back twice more in the last two decades. Spencer Jakab, WSJ, 30 Sep. 2022

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“Made/beat a hasty retreat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/made%2Fbeat%20a%20hasty%20retreat. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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