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
Examples 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
Three top concerns include elections and political turmoil that threaten progress, companies retreating or staying silent on DEI and ESG goals, and the rise of sustainability reporting that’s (temporarily) taking up companies’ time.
—
Andrew Winston, Harvard Business Review, 20 Dec. 2024
Deporting millions of immigrants and retreating from global trade by implementing slogans like America First will not achieve these goals.
—Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
When the group began retreating from the tree, one of the hunters shot the bear, which fell onto another hunter who was standing about 10 feet from the bottom of the tree.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 18 Dec. 2024
Is women’s power in the world advancing or retreating?
—Maggie McGrath, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
As British forces and their allies crowded Gadsden’s Wharf on the city’s eastern peninsula, thousands of people enslaved by retreating Loyalists scrambled for space aboard a fleet of 130 ships.
—Kinsey Gidick, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
However, Lee then sees the index retreating to 6,600 by the end of the year.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024
Regardless of views on climate change and global warming, the world's glaciers are increasingly retreating despite seasonal fluctuations and independent of natural glacial movement caused by factors like internal deformation.
—New Atlas, 10 Dec. 2024
Others played people retreating into themselves to escape pain or rejection.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024
Andrew Winston, Harvard Business Review, 20 Dec. 2024
Deporting millions of immigrants and retreating from global trade by implementing slogans like America First will not achieve these goals.
—Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
When the group began retreating from the tree, one of the hunters shot the bear, which fell onto another hunter who was standing about 10 feet from the bottom of the tree.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 18 Dec. 2024
Is women’s power in the world advancing or retreating?
—Maggie McGrath, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
As British forces and their allies crowded Gadsden’s Wharf on the city’s eastern peninsula, thousands of people enslaved by retreating Loyalists scrambled for space aboard a fleet of 130 ships.
—Kinsey Gidick, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
However, Lee then sees the index retreating to 6,600 by the end of the year.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024
Regardless of views on climate change and global warming, the world's glaciers are increasingly retreating despite seasonal fluctuations and independent of natural glacial movement caused by factors like internal deformation.
—New Atlas, 10 Dec. 2024
Others played people retreating into themselves to escape pain or rejection.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retreating
Verb
-
In December 2023, Congress passed a National Defense Authorization Act that aimed to block any president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO without approval from the Senate or an act of Congress.—
Andy Biggs,
Newsweek,
26 Dec. 2024
-
Diddy is expected to return to court on March 17 and will spend the holiday season behind bars after withdrawing his appeal for bail.—
Emma Aerin Becker,
People.com,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
In May, eight soldiers were sentenced to death for fleeing the battlefield, and in July, 25 soldiers were convicted of similar offenses.—
Jean-Yves Kamale and Wilson Mcmakin,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Jan. 2025
-
After a clerk refused to give her money, the woman attempted to break into the cash register before fleeing in a black SUV displaying out-of-state license plates, police said.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Trudeau's father, former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, served as the prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984, before retiring from politics before the next election.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
6 Jan. 2025
-
Among them, Oakland, California, whose voters recalled Mayor Sheng Thao in November, will hold a special election on April 15 that could feature a retiring member of Congress.—
Geoffrey Skelley,
ABC News,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Their family was on the run, escaping the mortar fire that drove them from their home in Hari Fara, one of the last refuges for Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority.—
Adam Ferguson,
New York Times,
28 Dec. 2024
-
The 1922 version's climax is more focused on Knock escaping and being hunted by the townsfolk because he's scapegoated for the plague.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA TODAY,
25 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Enlist the help of a running coach.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Dec. 2024
-
Penn State reaffirmed that belief by dismantling SMU and running the ball well against one of the best run defenses in the country.—
Justin Williams,
The Athletic,
31 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near retreating
Cite this Entry
“Retreating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retreating. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share